Two Dwarves & Three Ladies Fair
by BlueberryMuffins76
Summary: Yes, another story that is technically crossover between book & movie. This is an Alternate Universe fanfic where Fili, Kili, & Tauriel all survive the Battle of the Five Armies. Part of it consists of the journey to find the dwarves' mother, Dis. It is my longest fanfic ever, so please bear with me! I appreciate any suggestions and comments you have! Thanks for reading!
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: This story is heavily based off the characters in both the Hobbit film directed by Peter Jackson, and of course the actual book. The only character I made up is Esmerelda. I think it was also inspired somewhat by the ABC TV series "Once Upon a Time." (Yes, I do believe Esmerelda is based off of Regina before she started trying to become good; I picture her every time I try to imagine this schoolteacher!) I'm rather indebted to all the encyclopaedia writers on Council of Elrond; I have no idea what I would do without this resource and have learned so much through it! I apologize to Legolas fans: he does not have much of a part and I have not been kind to him, but everything will be fine in the end! Nonetheless, if you are sceptical you probably won't want to read any further. _I dedicate this story to all those who join me in Fili and Kili fandom. I am sure you wonder what it would be like if these two amazing dwarf brothers did not die but survived the Battle of the Five Armies. In order to make it shorter, I have tried to give the simple basics of where we are in the film, and to tell you enough details that you can figure out the context of my changes. With that note, you shall find out the alternative ending to The Hobbit movies (and the book, if you would like to think of it that way!).

_**Author's Note: This chapter has been updated! Check for updates in the next 6 chapters soon too; probably next week before I update &amp; I'll tell you which ones are done. And please review!**_

OoO

The wonderful sound of metal clanging against metal filled the air. An assortment of creatures, five armies in fact, waged war against each other. Elves, men, dwarves, and a solitary hobbit allied against the goblins and wargs. The atmosphere was thick with the blood spilled from all these creatures, and the ground stained deep red in many places due to the massive combat. The day seemed rather dark and dreary due to all the death everywhere.

Thorin Oakenshield had madly commanded his nephews Fili and Kili, along with their relation Dwalin, to accompany him on a foolhardy mission to kill the leader of the orc armies: Azog himself, the very one with whom Thorin was at eternal enmity. Those below the incline noticed the threesome's mad dash uphill on goats and trembled, expecting the worst outcome and dreading that they were unable to help the dwarf leader.

The brothers looked seriously at each other, fully prepared to help their uncle conquer the evil foe.

Once at the top, the party went on a search for the great white orc. Unfortunately, Azog had expected something like this to happen and was prepared for the group, staying deep within his dark and ugly caves and capturing Fili as he cautiously searched for him. A goblin held Fili at the edge of the drop, sword point digging into his back. He glanced at his brother, fear showing wildly in his eyes. He was not in pain yet but rather uncomfortable as he tried to prepare for his death. However, Kili had a plan and motioned to his brother, a move only he would recognize. Suddenly, the blonde dwarf pushed back with all his might and flipped over his captors, racing to Thorin's side. This move, of course, served to anger their foes even more and a great fight ensued. Thorin fought with his dread foe Azog, while Fili once again got separated from him and engaged the remaining orcs in battle. Kili was pushed to one side of the ridge, fighting valiantly with the goblin Bolg, the huge son of Azog and a champion warrior.

Then the lovely elf Tauriel arrived on the scene, frantically searching for her true love and calling his name. She finally spotted his struggles and made her way to him, helping him fight the evil brute and getting injured herself in the process. She crossed swords with the villain. Unable to dodge his balde fasr enough, her faced ended up scratched. The goblin pushed her and threw her to the side. A sickening crunch sounded as she hit the stone, her ribs broken.

Kili noticed she was down and took over the fight, jumping on their foe's back, giving Tauriel enough time to catch her breath and hoist herself up. The orc gained the upper hand on Kili and was about to run him through when he quickly rolled aside, the weapon harmlessly scathing the floor. Together, elf and dwarf allied against the foe, pushing him away until he fell, where Legolas took over the fight and conquered the beast. The couple collapsed, exhausted from their long fight and extensive wounds, in addition to the emotional exhaustion they experienced from seeing each other so near to death. Tauriel painfully crawled to Kili's side. "Meleth, I am here!"

"Oh Tauriel! I love you so much!" He clasped her hand and his eyes rolled closed as his body coped with the severe loss of blood by forcing him to lose consciousness. The elf followed suit, her own body severely beaten and battered.

Meanwhile, Fili battled with more orcs and once help had arrived and the enemy knew they fought for a lost cause, he engaged one last foe in one-on-one combat. They swung their weapons and, with a final burst of energy, Fili charged and knocked the head clean off the foul beast. However, the orc's large body landed on top of him, knocking him off balance and into a sharp rock. The world went dark, like being in a cave without a light and far from the entrance, and he knew no more of what went on around him.

King Thranduil approached at the end of the battle and saw Tauriel lying there on the ground, covered in blood, a mixture of her own, Kili's, and the orc's. He thought at first she was dead, then realized the life still flowed within her veins. Thus he picked her up and brought her to the healers. He noticed the faithful dwarf brothers lying there, senseless, and sent someone to fetch Fili and Kili's faintly breathing bodies.

An hour later, once the huge battle had been completely won, some elves came and gathered the wounded to tents they had set up for healing purposes. Unfortunately, Thorin Oakenshield was fatally wounded from his own battle against Azog and he survived only a few hours after the battle, thus was unable to bid his unconscious nephews his last farewell.

OoO

Several days later, the brothers finally awoke. They found themselves lying side by side in a large tent with many others who had also been seriously wounded but were expected to recover. The cloth door remained shut, which made the exact location of the tent unidentifiable at the moment, but they assumed they lay somewhere in the vicinity of Erebor.

Fili woke up first. He opened his eyes slowly and inquired, "Kili, where are you?" He, a bit unsure of where exactly he was, needed someone he knew nearby. Besides, the brothers had not been apart much ever since Kili was born, and Fili had sworn to protect his younger brother and see to it he arrived safely back to their mother, Dís.*

This statement aroused Kili, who winced as he opened his eyes into the blinding light and he answered, "I'm here next to you, but the real question is where exactly are we?"

A nearby elf came over to them. "You are at the bottom of Erebor. This tent has been set aside for some of the wounded. I and many others have been caring for you."

"We aren't at war with you anymore? Uncle Thorin was so rude to you elves. I and my brother thank you profusely for saving our lives; we shall be forever indebted to you for your kindness. Speaking of Thorin, where is he?" Fili replied, forgetting momentarily that he had watched his uncle bravely fight and go down in victory over his foe, unable to go to his aid, and that the elves had rallied with them against the goblins and their friends.

"I'm so sorry!" the elf exclaimed. "Thorin was fatally wounded in the battle and passed on a few days ago. However, the good news is we have won the war."

Their faces fell, eyes dark with sadness as they realized the man who was practically a father to them was no more. Fili reached over and squeezed his brother's arm, taking care to be gentle as to not injure either of them further. They had looked up to Thorin from childhood and knew their mentor would never return, but they could press on and tell his story to their children and grandchildren. He had been there for them ever since their own father had been killed in battle, along with their grandfather Thror, and deserved honour and respect for his leadership.

Each dwarf sat in silence as they allowed their minds to take in the sad news. They fondly recalled their first lessons in swordsmanship and how their uncle helped them pick out the most suitable weapons for both their strengths and personalities and taught them their proper use. While their mother, Dís, loved them and did her best to care for them, she appreciated that they had a male figure to whom they could look up and discuss matters which would be rather uncomfortable for her to explain. Thorin was by no means perfect and had many faults, but he loved his family and wanted to see them safe and sound in their own kingdom. The dwarves had lost a great leader who would always be remembered, preserved by the tales of his nephews.

***Look for this theme later on. I found a sweet pin on Pinterest which spoke of how no one ever expected Fili to die because he was the responsible one. It suggested he didn't need to promise to return because everyone expected he would, while the more reckless Kili needed that extra motivation to not do anything rash, to not rush into things as he was inclined to do.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: In response to a guest review, the bacon part is just simple silliness on my behalf. While this is a mostly serious story, I have no idea why I wanted to throw in something so wild. Kili is a pretty silly guy, but not that silly :P I can tell you I was inspired by eating some rather greasy bacon &amp; thinking what a good lip balm that would make...Also, the wet dog part was heavily influence by Veggie Tales "Sweet Pea Beauty" wherein Prince Larry is jumped on by a skunk and comments that he "smells like a wet dog!" My sister thought that would be funny to put into a story, &amp; I figured why not make it as silly as possible! (Actually I can't remember which one came first, the bacon or the wet dog, but one led to the other :P ) I don't think I do this again...But you never know! Anyway, let me know if you feel I just go way over the top &amp; add too many irrelevant tangents like this one! (Just so you know, I'm keeping the scene anyway, silly as it may be...perhaps if I find a better place for it I might take it out...But no guarantees!)**

**And please, I honestly do enjoy constructive criticism, or simply telling me you like the story and why! Please?**

_**Author's Note: This chapter has been updated! Check for updates in the next 6 chapters soon too; probably next week before I update &amp; I'll tell you which ones are done. And please review!**_

**2\. A Second Proposal**

Tauriel, in her elfly strength and resilience, woke up the day after the battle, in pain but ready to get up. "Oh!" she moaned softly, unable to stop the display of weakness as she turned slightly, her broken ribs shooting pain all over her torso. An attendant immediately appeared by her side.

"Tauriel? Are you awake?" she inquired.

"I think so! Please, tell me where is the dwarf Kili? Does he still live?" The elf maid, anxious to know the fate of the man she now realized she loved, was on pins and needles as she awaited her reply.

"I am not sure. If you will promise to stay in this bed, I will check with the other healers and see if I can find out for you." The nurse had a kindly attitude and surmised the elf and dwarf were in love. She quickly exited the tent and returned a few minutes later, a smile on her face. "They tell me he was wounded but appears to be recovering nicely."

"When can I see him? Will you take me now?" Her beloved lived!

"I am afraid that will have to wait. You only just woke up a few minutes ago and need to rest so you can recover your strength." The elf was firm but kind, and Tauriel knew better than to argue. So she held her peace for two more days. Thus when she was finally allowed to leave, Tauriel immediately went to the tent in which she knew the dwarf brothers were staying. She hesitantly called at the entrance, "Hello! May I come in?"

An elf came out, "Whom do you wish to see?"

"May I please speak with the dwarf Kili?"

"Let me make sure everyone is decent in there and then I shall let you in. He and his brother awoke a few hours ago and may be resting, but rousing them a little bit won't hurt. They are both strong and should recover quickly."

The elf hurried into the tent and soon returned, beckoning Tauriel inside. She immediately ran to Kili's side, gently brushing a wayward strand of hair out of his face as she knelt beside him. "Kili, Meleth, it is she who walks in starlight!"

Kili opened his eyes instantly. "Can it really be? Or am I dreaming?"

"Yes, Meleth, this is real! I am here!" The smile on her face radiated from her like the stars shine from the night sky, and the dwarf's mouth tipped upward in like manner.

Kili did the only thing he could think to do: he cupped her face in his hands and gently kissed her on the lips. She tasted of bacon. "Tauriel?" He drew back in surprise, realizing how hungry he was. "You taste like bacon!"

She laughed. "What a thing to say when we are just reunited! Yes, I ate some bacon, which was rather greasy, before I came over here and decided to rub the grease on my poor chapped lips. I have some extra; would you like some?"

Kili chuckled softly. "I am famished! I would love some!"

They rather unromantically ate bacon together, then kissed again, and this time both tasted like bacon! They relished in the embrace, forgetting about everyone else. In fact, the dwarf was so enthralled that he failed to notice the elf's use of the elvish word "meleth", which means "love." Kili, unlearned in Sindarin, or any form of elvish for that matter, had no idea what she just said, even if he had caught the word. "Tauriel, I know you are an elf and I a dwarf…Oh, this is so hard to ask!" He had forgotten he had practically proposed in dwarvish by the river banks; it felt so long ago, so unreal!

She responded by stopping him and sniffing the air. "Kili, do you smell something strange?"

Wrinkling his nose, he breathed deeply. Then he sniffed his armpit and almost fell over. "Yuck! I think I found it! It's me! It is like the smell of a wet dog!"

Tauriel laughed softly, holding in her mirth as best she could but not succeeding. "You do stink like a wet dog! You need a bath!"

"I'm sorry!" he chuckled with her. "I suppose being injured like this it is rather hard to bathe, especially since I haven't been awake that long."

"That's alright! I only just got a bath last night. I love you despite your stench!" She smiled lovingly at him.

"Oh dear! Let us get back to the task at hand. May I ask an important question, serious this time?"

"Meleth, do not fear. Ask me anything! I care not that you are a dwarf. King Thranduil has had a change of heart and is no longer as opposed to dwarves as he was. He saw the bravery of all your companions on the battlefield and knew he had missed out on some worthy friends. Whatever you want to ask, it is fine. Have no fears about the Elvenking." She secretly hoped he would propose, since she had already declared her love for him. His question suited her longings just fine.

"Will you marry me?" Kili was a bit embarrassed to ask this, since they had never properly courted and had a very strange relationship, but he knew this was true love and had to try for it. Additionally, his proposal had gone awry from the start, not a bit like the romantic setting he once had in mind.

"Of course I will marry you! After we both completely recover, of course. And yes, I will live with you wherever you want. The Elvenking can find another to replace me; I am not necessary to his army. Besides, I may still be banished; after all, I have defied my own king often enough that I deserve to be completely excommunicated!" Tauriel wanted her love to guide her and knew she had to stay with Kili wherever he wished. She would gladly sacrifice her wants for his. Unbeknownst to her, he felt likewise; their memories of the fight blurred and explained their fuzzy thoughts leading up to their unconsciousness.

"Tauriel, my sweet, I love you! We shall talk about living arrangements later. But first, a certain brother of mine will be most unhappy to know he snored through my proposal!" The couple shared yet another bit of mirth and then proceeded to awaken Fili.

"So you two finally realized you should get married?" he winked at them and slapped his brother playfully on the back. "I am happy for you, my dear brother."

However, Fili realized that he also desired love, yet he had no one in his life he would even consider at this point. Even though he enjoyed being with the elves, he did not want to marry one; that was just fine for his brother, though.

It was not long before the threesome were recovered enough to leave the camp. They decided to go and find the dwarves' mother in Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains, after Kili's marriage to Tauriel; the younger brother had promised to return to her and adding a brand new wife into the mix would make the reunion even happier, more special. Then the newlyweds and Fili would stay at Erebor for a time after their return from the Blue Mountains and help the newly crowned king, Dain, restore the kingdom. Fili and Kili were actually the rightful heirs of the throne after Thorin, being his nephews, but neither of them truly wanted the throne and they would have to rule jointly if at all. One brother ruling over the other simply would not do. Thus Dain, a hero of the great battle, became king as the next in line to the throne, a much better choice in their opinions anyway. He had a far more leader-ly disposition, unwilling to let anyone stand in the way of his kingdom and proudly exerting his authority over others.

Tauriel wanted to be married in her home of Mirkwood, and they made plans to visit there. Surprisingly, facing Legolas caused more worry within her soul than seeing King Thranduil again. She knew Legolas fancied himself in love with her, even if his father had never approved, and she was afraid he would take her marriage very hard. She liked him and had sometimes thought she could love him, but after she met and got to know Kili, the dwarf won her heart in the end. Besides, dwarves are not immortal; they live much longer than humans and hobbits, yet several hundred years is the best they can give. Being a full-blooded elf meant immortality, and she had no choice in the matter. True love even with just a few years is better than none at all; Tauriel certainly thought so. Legolas would wait until she was widowed, then after a few hundred years she might be ready to remarry. Additionally, Legolas was still a little immature for an elf, likely because Thranduil had spoiled him a little. Being an only child usually leads to that consequence, especially since Thranduil's wife, Arabesque, had died tragically a few centuries after Legolas was born, something from which the Elvenking only now began to recover.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's note: Another revision is up;see below! Now I have 4 more chapters to revise! And please, reviews are greatly appreciated! I do apologize for the long waits between chapters. This story has needed major help, although I think it's going much better now.**_

**3\. Resettling Dale**

Esgaroth, or Lake-Town, lay in charred ruins, the aftermath of Smaug's mad rage. Those who dwelled there found no suitable buildings to even take some respite in. In fact, the damage to the city made it practically impossible to rebuild, especially as its location did not allow for easy access; after all, building on a lake with the best access being by boat only means a difficult time in making repairs. Thus they were forced to leave their only home, becoming nomads until other accommodations could be made. Upon reflection, Bard and the other survivors decided to go to Dale and evaluate its state; perhaps they could dwell there, as they had to flee from the great dragon before they all were killed anyway. Dale was also destroyed by Smaug long ago when Bard's great-grandfather Girion ruled the fair citadel; the remaining inhabitants had fled to various portions of middle earth and left the great dragon to his mountain in relative peace, since he seemed unconquerable. Bard's companions persistently asked him to be their new leader, especially after the Battle of the Five Armies ended, yet at first Bard wanted nothing to do with being a more permanent leader for his people.

"I am not fit to rule! I simply shot down Smaug out of love for my own children and my fellow citizens. I had to do what my great-grandfather could not: save his people. I have now fulfilled my duty and rescued you from the clutches of a vile, fiery worm. If the winds had not been in the right place and I had been unaware of the dragon's weakness, none of us would be standing here today. That and my son's bravery. Knowing that Smaug's evil is no more is enough reward for me," the man insisted, reluctant to take on a leadership position because he felt extremely unsure about his abilities to rule.

Esmerelda, the local schoolteacher, elbowed her way through the crowd and clutched his hand, batting her eyelashes at him. "Bard, your protest only prove how fit you are to rule. Someone who is humble like you makes a good king."

He gently detached her fingers from his arm. "Esmerelda, please. First we should focus on getting Dale to a liveable place, then we can find a permanent leader."

"But Bard, the Master ruled over us with an iron hand. You are kind, compassionate, and have a fiery love for your children, while he cared only for the riches of our city. We were all foolish to not overthrow him long ago, but we all feared him until you defied him. See, you are fit to rule!"

The crowd cheered, agreeing with the schoolteacher's insight.

However, Bard still denied both his right and ability to rule. After many weeks of convincing, the townsfolk eventually won him over and he became the King of Dale, which meant his children were royals as well, albeit without a queen. His wife had died after giving birth to Tilda, and he never remarried, nor did he desire to do so. In fact, many women pursued him in this manner, including Esmerelda, but he effectively told each one of them he only had one true love and she was already gone; he could never bring himself to have another.

Instead, Bard poured his life and love into caring for his children, whom he raised to be obedient and helpful, especially Sigrid. As the eldest at sixteen, the task of caring for the younger children, in addition to the housework, fell to her while their father was out earning a living. She learned to scrimp, save, and work hard all day long, which proved to be a blessing in the time of need while they rebuilt Dale. All three children worked beside their father and their people to repair the damage Smaug inflicted, a long and arduous process but worth the finished results of a strong fortress.

Sigrid, a hard worker, longed for something more to her life, in particular a man of her own whom she could love and cherish, have and hold 'til death parted them. While she loved her family and enjoyed caring for them, she was growing up and needed to be able to find her own place in the world apart from her family. Actually, she fancied the gentleman that could make that happen to be a certain dwarf who had been invited into her home some time ago. At first Sigrid held the dwarves as simply stinky, travel-worn beggars whom she had to be compassionate towards because Bard had befriended him; what woman in her right mind would want fourteen strange males wandering free in her house, which was crowded enough as it was? Then she got to know them a little better and grew to appreciate their gruff and uncouth ways, some more so than others.

The young lady especially noticed how Fili's staunch dedication to his brother, even before Kili became deathly ill with his orc wound. Anyone who insisted on staying with his brother, sacrificing his own hopes and dreams, held the marks of a true man. Besides, she thought Fili rather handsome, in a rough-around-the-edges sort of way, and wanted to know him better. She was sixteen, after all, perfectly old enough to marry and have her own household; she certainly had enough experience with caring for her home and younger siblings.

Everyone thought Sigrid was the loveliest girl in the town, although she never agreed; the people had never really seen any elves, certainly not Galadriel or Arwen, and so did not know these two were the fairest of them all. But in human terms, she would give these elf ladies a run for their money. While she never fancied herself beautiful, she hoped the eyes of a certain dwarf would see what others appeared to see in her. Thus she took great care to make her wardrobe presentable, which unfortunately consisted of only the dress she wore; everything else had been destroyed either by fire or water, tragically unsalvageable and likely gone forever. Her only garment consisted of a plain brown dress in a simple cut, with long sleeves and a high neckline, and reached down to her ankles. She washed it out in the middle of the night so no one would see and then rubbed it with fresh lavender; since little could be done to improve its looks, at least she could make it smell nice. Her hair, an entirely different matter, could be braided and gussied up with some fresh flowers, which she took great pains to achieve. Hoping her hard work would pay off, she glanced at herself in the water every time she went to fetch more, preening and ensuring she looked the best she could.

Meanwhile, a shadowed figured watched Sigrid as she went back and forth from the river. Her raven locks blew in the wind as she peaked through her window at Bard's home with her emerald eyes. She had noticed the dwarves when they first arrived in Esgaroth and her curiosity about them overwhelmed any sense of propriety she may have had. Now that her home had been destroyed, she needed something other than her job as a schoolteacher to help her survive and rebuild her life; she hoped Bard's mysterious guests would return from their quest and somehow make her life better.

After all, surely if one had become rich from the treasures laid up in the mountain, she could unquestionably snag one with her beauty. In fact, she fancied herself the most beautiful woman in the entire world, although in Lake-Town she had always been placed second to Sigrid once the younger woman had matured into a sweet teenager, which is part of why she despised Bard's eldest daughter. Unfortunately, Esmerelda had an annoying flaw: one leg that was shorter than the other. However, no one ever noticed because she had the cobbler hold her secret; he made her special shoes, with the sole being higher on her shorter leg. She was thusly able to walk without limping and her long skirts hid the odd-looking footwear, as well as her gait, which was awkward enough for an elf or Ranger to detect her fault, but not ordinary humans. The cobbler, paid extremely well, agreed to keep her embarrassing secret as long as she did him favours and brought her business only to him, something to which she readily agreed.

Since she had a few years on Sigrid and her beauty was renowned (after all, her looks were more mature than young Sigrid, having been of age for a mere two years now), she had had hundreds of marriage proposals but refused each one because they did not meet her standards in any area. Her actions, however, showed Sigrid to be the more mature of the two because she was content with her state in life, even if she longed for something better, but the schoolteacher would stop at nothing to improve her life, even if it meant killing someone, which she had yet to do. Women like this see no need for a man and want to be self-sufficient, although they do sometimes admit having a significant male in one's life can be fun and helpful; this woman was no exception. The more she contemplated, the more convinced she became that securing a dwarf would lead her to a life of luxury and contentment. All the riches she could ever dream of and more lay inside that mountain, if only she could find someone to help her obtain them.

Esmerelda (for that was her name, in part for her emerald green eyes, and now fit her rather jaded and jealous personality) recalled the day she first discovered why the dwarves came to her hometown. Unable to curb her curiosity any longer, she had baked some bread and took a loaf to Bard's home. She knew from her spying that the younger two children were the only ones home and worked quickly to get to them before Bard and Sigrid returned. Her classroom experience with them meant she knew they could not keep secrets well, particularly Tilda, although Bain was less trusting and revealing. The siblings let her in, since she was their teacher, and she pelted them with questions about the dwarves. "Children, you have had some interesting house guests! Could you tell me about them? Who is their leader?"

They were only too happy to tell her about these strange creatures. "Da found them down the river and hid them in some barrels to get them here!" Tilda, the youngest, piped up, then gasped as she realized she had revealed a secret. Bain glared at her, and a tear formed in her eye at the chastisement. Bard had warned them to tell no one of the dwarves, not even their best friends.

"It's all right, child, I will not share your secret. Tell me more!" The schoolteacher could barely contain her excitement at their loose lips.

Bain spoke up next. He figured since she was the teacher and knew her history, and the secret had been revealed anyway, more information might lead to his getting more insight as well. Somewhere in the back of his mind he remembered an ancient prophecy he'd read in a history book, something about a king returning to the mountain. "Thorin Oakenshield is their leader and he wants to take back the Lonely Mountain from the great dragon Smaug. He is the rightful king there and his two nephews, Fili and Kili, are next in line and extremely devoted to him and each other. The rest of the dwarves and the hobbit, Bilbo, seem to be along only for moral support and extra hands in battle."

Wow! Exactly what she wanted to know! "Thank you for your help, children! Here is some bread for you and your family. I am afraid I must leave now and I shall see you both in school tomorrow!"

"Thank you!" they innocently replied, unaware of the murderous plot beginning inside Esmerelda's head.

However, she had not expected the dragon to destroy her lovely home, nor the Battle of the Five Armies. The schoolteacher spoke to Bard's children again after this event and found out some valuable information. They had to tell her that Thorin was killed in battle and someone named Dain became king in his stead. Rather disappointed that the chief dwarf died, she was also wary of the new king. She heard tales of his massive size and great bravery and ended up rather frightened of him; how would she get him out of her way? So she immediately set her sights on Thorin's nephews, who could get her inside that mountain to plot how to take it over for herself. She learned of Kili's injury and decided against him; besides, he was a brunette, much too common in her part of the world. That left Fili, the handsome blonde dwarf. She knew she had to have him and immediately started plotting a wedding: she would soon be Empress Esmerelda of Erebor – whoa, did that name sound good! Fili technically was first in line for the throne anyway, as the oldest, but she failed to realize this. Since she planned to pursue him, this information would not have mattered in the slightest except to further her plots to gain his hand in marriage.

Things only got more complicated when Bard was proclaimed the king of Dale. Esmerelda always liked him romantically and had been one of the women who openly pursued him. A bit of attraction remained even now, which is why she had pushed for him to become king. However, once she set her eyes on the dwarf, her affections changed. Bard had refused to accept her advances, and she quickly gave up after only a few short months. Besides, his hair was quite dark, even if he was a handsome man. And his children! Despite being a schoolteacher, she did not want her own children and always breathed a sigh of relief when the kids left the schoolhouse each day. She wasn't sure that she even wanted to bring children from a husband's first marriage into the mix, since the little ones grated on her nerves. Thankfully Bard's brood were always well-behaved in her classroom. But things were about to change between the schoolteacher and Sigrid, who had got along splendidly until the younger's beauty surpassed the older's.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's note: Another revision is up; see below! And please, reviews are greatly appreciated! I do apologize for the long waits between chapters. This story has needed major help, although I think it's going much better now.**_

**4\. A Brief Visit**

Fili, Kili, and Tauriel chose to stop in Dale before heading to Mirkwood to thank Bard and his family personally for helping them. They had not been able to speak much due to all the chaos of battles and recovering from their wounds, not to mention the massive rebuilding the men undertook to restore Dale. Fortunately, the whole family was home when they stopped by.

Sigrid answered the door. "Fili, Kili, and Lady Tauriel! It's so good to see you! Do come in! Have you recovered well?" She noticed the now faint scratch mark on Tauriel's face and realized all three visitors had likely been scathed in some or another fashion during the battle.

Kili figured the young lady worried about him especially, since she had helped during his former injury, so he answered. "Well, we were all declared well enough to leave, and I think all of us feel much better, especially Tauriel and I." He gave his beloved a loving smile, which she returned.

"I'm glad. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Tea sounds lovely!" Fili replied. He thought it strange that she looked at him as she said all this with some strange expression on her face that reminded him of something…he had no idea what but hoped it would come to him soon so he could figure her out. Were all women this hard to read, or just humans? He really had little experience with females of any type and found them a great mystery.

Tauriel took the lead. "We have come to thank you for all you have done. Children, your hospitality to the dwarves when they came to your father for help is commendable. Especially with my dear Kili. He may not have made it if you had not allowed him to stay with you during his illness."

"It's nothing. Mother would have been happy we could help."

Kili snaked an arm around Tauriel's waist. He could hold back the wonderful news no longer. "Thanks to your hospitality to us, and my dear Tauriel, I must announce that I have asked her to marry me, and she quite kindly agreed! We are to be married in Mirkwood soon as we pass through on our way to Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains where Mother and our other kinfolk were last seen."

"Oh my! I'm so happy for you!" Sigrid threw her arms around Tauriel in a sound hug; she was quite surprised but hugged her back. "I just knew the minute I saw you two together that you were destined for each other! It's so romantic!"

Kili shared a secret glance with his brother, rolling his eyes and pretending to gag as the romance went on overkill mode. Fili found it all quite humorous and was having trouble holding back his laughter.

"Anyway," Tauriel continued after getting off on the happy tangent, "Bard is our new hero! Without you, good would never have triumphed over evil and Smaug could still be roaming about, devouring whomever he wished. Please, send word to Mirkwood if you are ever in need of assistance. And if you have trouble with them, just mention my name. I do need to tell you King Thranduil is also greatly indebted to you. He has long wished the worm dead and you have done this!"

Bard had remained quiet in the background, nodding as he agreed with his eldest daughter, who made a fine hostess. Now, as the conversation directed to him, he spoke. "You are quite welcome! I was only doing what I thought best to save my family and my city. As for caring for you dwarves, I have to apologize for not being a better host! I thought you might bring harm to my family after a while, even though my first intentions were to care for those so desperately in need, which I would want done for me if I were ever in such a situation." Bard remained humble, embarrassed at all the fuss made over him and growing rather tired of it.

Sigrid popped up from having disappeared into the kitchen area for a moment to make sure the tea was in place. "The tea is ready! Will you sit with us, please? I had just baked some cookies and will share them as well. Bain and Tilda like them with their tea." The siblings nodded in agreement, a hungry look in their eyes.

"I don't mind if we do!" Fili replied cheekily. All of a sudden, the young lady did something inside him that made him happy. He found himself dreaming about knowing her better, courting her, and when he got to the wedding, he had to shake himself out of it. Then it hit him: the look she gave him was the exact same look Tauriel had for Kili! Sigrid fancied herself in love with him! And he was quickly falling for her as well. She was a lovely maiden, short for a human but really only about a half inch shorter than he. That suited him just fine; his brother could have a tall wife, but he would have problems with that. How is a wife supposed to respect her husband if he is much shorter? Not to mention Tauriel was an elf, which meant she would eventually be widowed. But if Fili married a human, he'd likely become a widower since humans do not live as long as dwarves, or even hobbits (unless they are the Dúnedain, which Bard and his family were not). Was true love really worth the pain in the end? Kili and Tauriel obviously thought so. However, he was not quite ready to face all these questions in real life. They all sat around the table and chatted, then the two dwarves and elf maiden took their leave. They planned to stay in Dale for a few more days in order to gain back more of their strength before undertaking the long journey to Ered Luin.

They ended up staying within the city a full week, wherein Fili found himself visiting Bard and his family on a daily basis. Most of the time he went alone, although Kili and Tauriel came with him a few times. He helped ensure their new home would be sturdy against the harsh winter weather and found working alongside the family helped him get to know them better than when he'd stayed with him the last time.

At night, Fili pondered his newfound feelings for the young lady Sigrid. Not only beautiful and pleasant, she proved to be competent as a hostess and a hard worker. The way she smiled at him warmed his heart, stirring a longing within him for a real home of his own. His childhood and much of his adult life had been spent wandering from here to there, with no real home to call his own. Being near a close family who had a physical home helped him to see what a family really should be.

Finally, the day before the dwarf brothers and elf had set to leave for Mirkwood, Fili once again made his way to Bard's house with an important question on his mind. As he arrived on the doorstep, he straightened to his full height and took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

Bard answered. "Come in!"

However, Fili hesitated. "Bard, could I speak with you alone, please?" he asked.

"I suppose so, but it does need to be quick. There is so much that needs to be done before everything is fully put to rights!"

"I understand."

The dwarf and man went off for a private conversation. "So, about what do you wish to speak?" Bard inquired.

"Your beautiful daughter Sigrid, sir. I think I am falling in love with her and would like to ask your blessing on our courtship. I promise she shall never lack for anything she needs and I shall cherish her all her days."

"What?!" Bard was in shock. "I have had hundreds of men ask for her hand in marriage already, but never a dwarf. I am honestly not sure how to take this! Will you let me think a minute?"

"Of course! Take all the time you need."

Bard walked away, deep in thought.

Fili attempted to stay calm as he sat on a crumbled wall. He stayed a few seconds, then jumped up and paced back and forth, hands tucked into his pockets. A bit of nervous sweat ran down his back and he resisted the urge to shiver in the chilly breeze.

Bard came back a few minutes later, and Fili halted midstride, his eyes filled with trepidation.

Bard smiled, seeing the dwarf's nervousness and fondly recalling his own courtship story. "I have decided that if Sigrid agrees, you may have a two-year courtship. If at that time she wishes to marry you, I extend my warmest blessings. I saw how bravely you fought, trying to save your uncle. If you can be that dedicated to a wife, you will make a wonderful husband. I only wish my dear wife had been able to meet you; she would have loved you and all your companions. She always longed to go on adventures and meet persons from faraway lands."

Fili was as ecstatic as a male dwarf could be. So he threw his arms around Bard, hugging him. Bard was surprised but returned the embrace. Then, Fili banged heads with him in true dwarf fashion, and the man winced, rubbing his head, before smiling at the excited dwarf.

"Thank you so much! I want to tell Sigrid right now!" With that, he rushed back to Bard's house.

Fili burst in the door like a madman, a crazy and happy grin on his face, making him look quite ridiculous. He had apparently forgotten that it was polite to knock, his hurry to ask Sigrid his question so great that it was the only thing that could occupy his mind at that time. "Sigrid! Could you step out with me for a few minutes?"

The young lady was a bit confused but obliged him. "Ok…" she answered hesitantly. "Let me grab my cloak and then we shall talk."

They stepped outside together and Fili led her to a fallen rock wall at the edge of the city, where they sat down together. He turned towards her, "Sigrid, I have just been talking with your father."

"Yes?" she replied, totally confused now.

"I asked if I could court you, and he gave his blessing. However, the final decision is up to you."

"Wait, you want to court me?" Why would a dwarf want to court a human?

"Exactly! I did say that, didn't I?"

"Yes, I suppose you did! Of course I will let you court me! But tell me, why out of all the women in this world would you choose me? You could have had a lovely elf like your brother."

"I don't want an elf! I want you! I think you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, surpassing the beauty of an elf by far. You are kind and compassionate and did not insist you father turn us away in our need, even though I am sure it was very uncomfortable for you to have to put up with us like that. Actually, I may even be falling in love with you!"

"I don't know what to say! Thank you!" Sigrid experienced some shyness now, but she understood exactly how the dwarf felt. "I do admit it was a bit awkward to have so many men in the house all at once, but I knew you needed us."

"Sigrid, I have not told you something; our courtship will have to be on hold for at least a year, probably longer." He anxiously awaited her reaction, literally on the edge of his seat.

"Fili, why?" Her eyes looked up at him sadly.

"I would like to see my Mother again. She was last seen in the Blue Mountains, and Kili promised to return to her. In fact, we've made plans to start our journey tomorrow. One of us cannot return without the other, you know; she would be quite worried and disappointed." Then, a thought hit him. "Sigrid, what if you joined us? Tauriel will be with us and married to Kili then, after our stop in Mirkwood, so it would not be horribly inappropriate. Do you think your father would allow such a thing? As much as I desire to be with you, I am afraid until we are wed she must come first, especially since Kili and I are her only male kinfolk left who could even help her, if she needs it."

"Fili, that makes me want to know you even better. Of course you must see your mother! I shall ask Father right away if I may join you; I have always wanted to travel but have never had the opportunity, what with Mother being gone all these years. I have practically had to raise Bain and Tilda. Now why don't we get back to the others so they do not worry!"

They laughed and headed back towards her home, certain their courtship would go splendidly. As expected, their return was met with more suspicious looks from Bain and Tilda, and a hint of sadness on Bard's end. Sigrid approached him and hugged him, something she usually did not do unless she wanted something. "Da, may I speak with you a moment?"

"Yes; everyone wants my solitary attention these days!" he laughed and led his precious daughter away.

"Da, Fili asked to court me and I said yes. He also said that he's planned a trip to the Blue Mountains to see his mother again He asked if I could join him; Tauriel and Kili will be married then, and the four of us would travel together."

Bard inhaled sharply then released the breath. "Sigrid, I just don't know. You have been such a help all these years without your mother, so I am not sure what we would do without you. However, I realize I will have to let you go sooner or later. What do you want to do, dearest daughter?"

"Da, you know I love you and Bain and Tilda very much and I have no idea what I would do without you. Yet a part of my heart has always longed to go places, meet new people and see new scenery. I would enjoy joining Fili, even if I know the way will be hard and I will miss you all greatly."

Bard held his eldest child close. "Sigrid, you have spent much of your childhood working when you should have been playing, being a mother when you were barely more than a child yourself. As much as I wish you would stay, I feel the rest of us can care for ourselves. After all, one day we will need to know how to live without you, especially if Fili loves you the way I think he does!"

Sigrid could hardly contain her joy. "Thank you so much, Da! I love you!" She held him tightly for a minute, then they went back to share the news with everyone else. Going straight to Fili, she whispered in his ear, "Da agreed to let me join you! But I want to tell Bain and Tilda in private; they will be upset. Do you mind going now? As much as I want to be with you, there will be plenty of time for that later. Then I can join you at dawn tomorrow."

His soft breath tickled her ear as he responded, sending a tingle down her spine unlike anything she had ever felt before. "I shall try my best! I am so happy!"

Smiling, he took his leave, explaining that he needed to make sure everything was prepared for his long journey on the morrow.

Then Sigrid knew she had to break the news to her siblings. "Bain, Tilda, I have something I must tell you…" she started nervously, unsure of how they would take to the idea.

"Sigrid, what's wrong?" Bain inquired, concern filling his eyes.

"I shall be going on a rather long trip, a journey lasting a least a year, likely longer than that."

"No!" Tilda cried, throwing herself on her big sister. "You can't leave us!"

Sigrid embraced her and cradled the back of her head in a motherly manner. "There, there, Tilda. You know I will not stay with you all forever; I do want to get married sometime, which means moving out with my husband. Speaking of which, Fili asked to court me and I said yes! I hope to marry him after we return!"

Tilda still was not convinced that her sister should leave, but Bain, old enough to understand Sigrid's longing to travel, sympathized with her. "Sigrid, if you want to go we will miss you, but I know how you long to see Mirkwood palace and the places beyond." He joined the embrace, so all three siblings snuggled together.

"Thank you for understanding, Bain. I love you both very much; you know that, right?" Tilda nodded, as did their brother. They spent some quality family time the rest of the night while Sigrid prepared for her long journey, full of excitement with a twinge of trepidation; she had never been away from home before, and it would be strange to travel with those who were practically strangers for such a long time!

_**Author's Question: Is the relationship between Fili and Sigrid still too fast? I tried to lengthen it a bit but still feel there could be something else, although I have no idea what. Suggestions are appreciated!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's note: Another revision is up; see below! And please, reviews are greatly appreciated! I do apologize for the long waits between chapters. This story has needed major help, although I think it's going much better now.**_

_I will warn you that if you are a Legolas fan you might not appreciate this chapter, but I promise everything will work out for him in the end, which will unfortunately take until about chapter 18 or 19 or so (I think it will have 22 chapters when I'm completely finished). And please, if I am being way too romantic &amp; you're getting tired of all the sappiness, I really would like to know! Having two couples is way too much fun! My characters are likely once again a bit OOC here.  
_

**5\. Sweet &amp; Sour**

A lone figure watching from her window glared at Bard's house through her gingham curtains. She clenched her fists, eyes narrowed and heart racing as she looked at the dwarf enter the house, then exit a while later with a happy grin on his face. However, she had a plan. Rubbing her hands together, she thought through her strategy once one. She wanted to ensure the upcoming relationship between dwarf and woman would turn sour quickly. How dare that insolent girl, hardly more than a child, get to that handsome blonde dwarf before she could! Esmerelda had noticed Fili and Sigrid go to the edge of the city together and suspected they were falling in love, judging from the way he smiled when he came out of the house mere moments ago. She had to figure out a way to stop them! The other dwarf already had an elf, from the notorious forest of Mirkwood no less, and she did not want to tangle with her and possibly face the wrath of the Elvenking himself. That meant this blonde dwarf was her only hope. She hated to admit it, but Sigrid was a lovely maiden; no wonder a dwarf would fall for her. Yet surely she could have had her pick of any other unattached male in the world! So she would have to break them up and turn this dwarf towards herself, proving that Esmerelda was the woman of his dreams, not Sigrid.

At last, Fili drew closer to her own home. "Now is my chance!" she thought. "I shall go and talk to the dwarf and see if I can sway his affections towards me. I just hope the other dwarf and elf aren't suspicious!"

The schoolmarm made her way outside. However, by the time she had fetched her shawl and closed the door, the other dwarf and elf had met up with the man. Two more people could not stop her and she continued with her pursuit, although having those onlookers would make things a bit more difficult. "Good day!" she greeted the trio. "I am Esmerelda, the schoolteacher here in Dale. I just wanted to thank you all for your bravery in defeating that evil dragon! You helped save my people, even if Esgaroth is a total waste and here in Dale there are still lots of needed repairs."

"You are welcome!" Tauriel replied for the three, trying to sound pleasant even though the gushing woman grated on her nerves. Perhaps that was simply how most human women expressed themselves, not a bit like the elves she was used to. "I am Tauriel, and this is my fiancé Kili and his brother Fili. We are planning to help King Dain with Erebor after Kili and I are wed and visit his mother. I wish we could help you here as well!"

"That is quite understandable! Your place is with your own people!" she smiled cunningly. "Would you all like to come in and have some tea?"

"No thank you!" Tauriel answered again. "We really must leave soon and finish all our packing. Thank you for the offer! Perhaps the next time we are through town we shall stop in." With that, she effectively finished the conversation and they went on their way.

"Tauriel!" Kili exclaimed as soon as they were out of ear shot. "Why did you take over like that?"

She snuggled against his side. "I really have no idea! I feel something strange is going on with that woman, but what I do not know. I felt an instant dislike for her, something I have with few humans that I have met thus far. I think we should watch out for her, not that we will be here long. But perhaps it is nothing; maybe my nerves about marriage are making me think I see things that are not there!"

Kili nuzzled her nose. "I certainly hope so, my love! Now I suppose we should prepare for our trip; we have a long journey ahead of us and I, for one, would like to see Mother again sooner rather than later."

"Amen" Fili heartily agreed. He then shot a sly grin towards his brother. "Actually, four of us are going."

"Four? Are you daft?" Kili looked at his brother as though he had grown an extra head. "Look," he pointed to himself, then Fili, and last Tauriel, "one, two, three. I think you need to learn how to count!"

Unable to contain it, a huge smile lit Fili's face. "Sigrid is joining us. I asked to court her and Bard has agreed that she may travel with us, using the two of you as our chaperones."

Kili slapped his older brother on the back and head-butted him. "I knew you had to come around sooner or later! Now that I have Tauriel to care for me, you are free to have your own woman!" he winked.

Smiling, Tauriel congratulated him. "Well now. I wish I had seen that coming. Sigrid is welcome to join us. I have seen how hard she works and she should be an asset to our trip."

They continued laughing and joking until they returned to their lodgings. Thus the threesome gathered their things to head first for Mirkwood, then the long trek to the Blue Mountains, or Ered Luin.

O_O

At dawn the next morning, the two dwarves and lone elf met at Bard's house to get Sigrid. She answered their knock with bags in hand, looking both sad and excited at the same time, a strange mixture of emotions. Tauriel pulled her into a hug, knowing she needed the female comfort and companionship, even if the elf was not one to give out physical affection except with her soon-to-be husband. "You do not have to join us if you do not want to. The decision is entirely up to you."

"I know. As much as I hate to leave my family, my curiosity about the world outside of Dale and Esgaroth has won! Just let me say goodbye to my family one last time, and I shall be ready." She probably took a few more minutes than necessary, but the rest of her companions understood her dilemma and refrained from mentioning it. Bain, Tilda, and Bard were squeezed and tears misted everyone's eyes, although father and brother tried to hide theirs. The three stood at the door and waved as the foursome walked off into the distance. Thus was the beginning of their journey.

Several hours later, the quartet found themselves on their way to Mirkwood. Tauriel was glad of some female companionship, even if she did not really need it as much as other women do. They had the best time discussing the wedding plans. It would be a simple affair, barely more than an elopement.

Fili and Kili also got in some male bonding. They had missed their carefree lives and were glad to have things closer to normal. They had matured through their long and tedious journey and were not the boys they used to be.

It took a couple of days, but at last they arrived in Mirkwood. As they approached the bridge and gates to the castle, Tauriel realized something. She grabbed Kili's arm, "Meleth, I think I might still be banished from Mirkwood palace! What should we do?"

The dwarf reassuringly smiled at her and squeezed her hand. "I suggest we request to be let in and see how it goes from there!"

The guards, who had known of their approach for some time, opened the gates and the quartet was escorted in with no problem.

The Elvenking himself greeted them. "Tauriel, Kili, Fili! Welcome back! And who is this with you?"

Tauriel pushed a shy Sigrid forward. "This is Sigrid, Bard's eldest daughter. She has decided to accompany us on our journey to Ered Luin. And she and Fili are now officially courting!"

"Congratulations! You are a lovely young lady and I am sure just what young Fili needs. You are welcome in my courts as long as you wish; your father has been quite kind to my people."

"King Thranduil, I need to speak with you privately for a moment. Kili, excuse us please? I will call for you soon! Am I still banished?" Tauriel inquired, wanting his blessing on their marriage.

"Of course you may speak with me! And no, I shall lift your banishment for now, as long as you refrain from threatening me again," he winked, knowing she had learned her lesson. She smiled, grateful that the handsome ruler of Mirkwood had finally lightened up a bit and had mercy on her.

The Elvenking and his guard walked away into the throne room.

"Now, of what do you wish to speak?" Thranduil inquired.

"Kili and I desire to be wed, and I would like your blessing."

"You have it! Tauriel, thank you for your faithful service to me. Once you are widowed, if you desire your job back you shall have it. Besides, I think having you away for a time will be good for Legolas. He still believes he has feelings for you, of which you know I do not approve. However, in a few centuries I may reconsider. Legolas needs to mature before he takes a wife, and I suppose if he were to choose any maiden it might as well be you. You are a brave warrior and would do well at his side. I have sent him to find the Rangers and learn from them, which I believe will help him in many ways." Here he tried to glare at her but ended up smiling, fondly recalling her younger and more rebellious days, even up until the point where she threatened to kill him after he had been forced to banish her for a time. "You have almost always been loyal to me, even if you have challenged my authority from time to time. So I wish my highest blessings on you and Kili. If you need anything at all, let me know and I shall provide it."

"Thank you! I do agree that this will be good for Legolas. I know he shall be extremely upset with me, but in time he will get over it. As much as I like your son, you know I have never loved him quite in the way he wishes. Now could Kili come in? I want to have the wedding here and we both need to be present."

"By all means send him in!" Thranduil felt quite charitable today. Although he hated to lose such a fine soldier, he knew she posed as a downfall for his dear son at this time and was more than happy to allow her to leave for a while. It should be easier to get him out of Mirkwood with her married and gone.

The threesome talked about the marriage ceremony and all was settled in record time. Upon their exit of the throne room, Legolas met them, having recently returned home for a brief time to gather supplies for a journey to meet with the Dúnedain for an indefinite amount of time.

"Tauriel! How good to see you again!" He smiled and embraced her, then shot Kili a killer glare behind her back, unbeknownst to her. The Ruler of Mirkwood watched the interaction in the background, wondering exactly how his son would react and almost dreading it, even though he knew it was for the best.

"Thank you, Legolas! I have wonderful news! Kili and I are getting married!" The excitement in her tone lit up her whole face, but the Elvenprince did not agree with her reaction.

"What!?" Legolas's eyes narrowed, his face a bit red as his blood boiled within him. "Tauriel, I demand to see you at once, _alone_."

"Kili, Meleth, will you excuse us please?" Her exasperation obvious, she looked at her fiancé apologetically.

Kili sighed, knowing his true love would remain loyal to him despite his misgivings about the other elf. "Only if you promise not to touch that elf!" He sent a killer stare at his elf nemesis. "She is mine, and you cannot have her! Unless, of course, she changes her mind about me."

Tauriel had a hard time suppressing a laugh, as did the Elvenking as he faded into the background. She loved how protective Kili was! "I promise!" She gave him a tender kiss and went off with her friend.

"Tauriel, how could you do this to me?" Legolas barely waited until they were out of earshot for this outburst. "You know I love you and plan to marry you, despite what my Ada says."

"Legolas, Kili and I love each other. Our love is strong and true. I do not feel this kind of love towards you, and I daresay you only think you feel it for me. If you truly loved me, you would be willing to let me be with my true love. Real, pure love is not possessive but rather seeks the good of the other, not itself. On top of this, you still need to mature. You are not yet ready for marriage."

"But Tauriel, I do love you that way! Then that dwarf came in and spoiled everything!"

"That statement proves my point even more. I would rather spend a few centuries with him than a lifetime regretting losing him. Kili will not live forever. Perhaps after I have been a widow for a few centuries you will have your chance again. However, now is Kili's time. Legolas, you have been a dear friend to me and I wish you the best. Please, I wish to part as friends. You have stood faithfully by my side against so many foes! I will always consider you my friend."

Legolas let out a rather uncouth snort, which would have highly displeased his father had he heard it. He marched back into the room where Kili awaited. Stalking over to Kili, he leaned down to the dwarf's level. His narrowed eyes and cold face looked much like the same glare his father gave.* Standing practically nose to nose, the angry elf confronted the dwarf, again much to Tauriel's amusement. "Kili, son of Dís, I hereby challenge you to a duel over this lovely maiden's hand in marriage. You may choose the weapons and place."

Unable to resist, Kili took the challenge, meeting the stern elf with a determined glower of his own. "I accept! We shall use broad blade swords in the great hall."

Legolas gathered the weapons from the armoury and chose his father for his second, and the dwarf asked his brother to stand by his side.

The Elvenking, a bit embarrassed at his son's immaturity yet willing to allow him to undertake this foolhardy skirmish, regally began the fight after appearing from somewhere in the background. "On the count of three, you may begin. One, two, three!"

Metal clashed against metal, the sound ringing in the onlookers' ears as they watched the dwarf and elf circle each other and cross swords. They dodged and lashed out, each effectively evading the other's moves. However, all was lost for Legolas when he glanced away to flash a smile at Tauriel. Kili used that moment to come upon him and with one stroke of his blade, he knocked the sword from his opponent's hand.

Legolas gasped. "You won?" He could hardly believe his bad luck. He never lost in fights, with the only exception being his many encounters with Bolg, and even then he had won in the end. Perhaps the Rangers really could teach him a thing or two about fighting and survival.

Tauriel chose to ignore the immature reaction from her old friend and rushed to her fiancé. "Kili, Meleth, I am so proud of you! Now you can marry me with a clear conscience!" She winked brazenly at him and then kissed him soundly.

Legolas approached, utterly defeated and quite dismal. His sad face, eyes filled with the pain of rejection, made the elf maiden's heart ache. The tone of his voice dripped with defeat. "Tauriel, you are right, as usual. We have been through much together. I shall remain your friend, but do not expect me to ever like that dwarf of yours. However, I must respect your decision to take him over me and know I cannot change your mind. He rightfully won our duel, and your heart." He tenderly hugged her for the last time, then, heartbroken, returned to his chambers to think about the events. He needed some solitary time, with only his elf-cat, Remmirath, as a comforting companion, in order to process the sad turn of fate. The feline would serve as both a stoic constant and a reliever of the anger he held deep within himself. Perhaps finding the Rangers would do him good, he thought yet again; he would be in different surroundings with new people, and he hoped nothing would remind him of his home and the sadness it bore within its stone walls. His father had lost his mother, and now he had lost his elven love. While the cosy cave system had once seemed like home, a comforting cool presence, it now seemed dark and oppressive, the walls closing in and sucking all the light away, leaving behind a dank and cold feelings.

Tauriel returned to her fiancé, greatly distressed that Legolas was so upset but not knowing anything else she could do to help him. She needed to forget him for a time a focus on her dwarf.

Kili placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. He led her away, hoping in time she would forget about the situation.

_***Yes, I wanted you to have images of Thranduil confronting Thorin! Did anyone catch it?**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's note: Another revision is up; see below! And please, reviews are greatly appreciated! I do apologize for the long waits between chapters. This story has needed major help, although I think it's going much better now. This marks the end of my revision chapters. As always, I would really like it if you would leave a review &amp; tell me what you think! I see people are reading &amp; even favoriting this story...Please confirm your like by reviewing! Please?  
**_

**6\. Married at Last**

The wedding was held a few days later under the beautiful starlight. Dressed in a simple green robe, Tauriel presented a lovely picture. Kili could finally watch her really and truly walk in the starlight as she had told him she did, and it was certainly a sight to behold! Tauriel thought he looked as handsome as ever in a simple brown tunic and pants set. Fili was the best man and Sigrid the maid of honour. Legolas could not bring himself to attend (he stayed in his room to brood and pet his cat, which suited the feline just fine; he had not gotten nearly enough attention lately and missed his master), but King Thranduil agreed to officiate the ceremony. Two guards stood by as witnesses.

Once Tauriel made it to his side, Kili clasped her hand as they stood before the Elvenking. The couple smiled and gazed into each other's eyes as they fondly proclaimed their love for each other. At last, their officiator said the magic words, "You may now seal your vows with a kiss."

The dwarf smiled and raised up a bit as the elf bent towards him, and they shared the most tender and sweet kiss yet, looking forward to the joys of married life.

After a short honeymoon of three days within the halls of the palace, the quartet was ready to seek Fili and Kili's mother, Dís. She was last located in the Blue Mountains, well beyond Mirkwood, the Misty Mountains, and even the Shire. Their journey would be long and hard, but Kili had to return to his mother because he had promised. Besides, she would be thrilled to learn both her boys were either married or in the process of getting there; she longed for grandchildren, someone to carry on their family legacy since Thorin never saw fit to marry. Tauriel loved how the dwarves remained dedicated to their only living family and chose to keep their promises, no matter how much of a journey it meant for everyone; they expected it to take at least a year to get there and back, perhaps longer.

The men were not worried about themselves or even Tauriel, but Sigrid had spent her whole life in Esgaroth so they were concerned about her making the trip.

"Sigrid, our journey to the Blue Mountains will take around a year or so, and that is if we are lucky and do not run into too many problems. There are still spiders in Mirkwood and orcs in the Misty Mountains, not to mention the possibility of trolls and other creatures once we get closer to our destination. It is your choice if you want to continue with us, or I believe King Thranduil would send some guards to escort you back to Dale if you choose to return. Tell me, sweetheart, what would you like to do?" Fili inquired, extremely concerned about his friend.

"Fili, I want to go with you! How could I stay behind and worry about all those dangers of which you told me? I already agreed to go with you so I could see some of the world. Besides, you belong with your brother and sister-in-law so I cannot ask you to stay with me in Dale, even though I feel sure you would." They shared their first hug, short and sweet.

"I am so glad! You are right, I would remain here with you if you so desired, even though my loyalties between you and Kili and my mother would be torn. I shall strive to keep you as safe as possible. However, we must see if there is a small weapon you can carry, perhaps a dagger."

"That sounds lovely, even though I have no idea how to use anything like that. Dale is a fairly peaceful place and none of us are trained in the use of weaponry. Actually, they did not allow weapons when we lived in Lake-Town so I only learned to use knives in the kitchen!"

"I shall teach you to use whatever we find!" Fili would ensure his true love could protect herself; yes, he was beginning to realize she the right woman for him and that they were destined to marry when the two years of courtship were up. Loath to wait that long, he knew he had to respect Bard's wishes and realized that two years really is not that long in the life of a dwarf.

The quartet packed up and prepared to leave early the following morning. The Elvenking made sure they had enough food and anything else they might need along the way, for which they were quite grateful. Tauriel found an old dirk she never used and presented it to Sigrid. "This is my dirk, but you may have it. It served me well in my younger days. It is one of the finest weapons you could ask for, and, like any other elven blade, it glows blue when goblins are about."

"Thank you! It is lovely! Fili, will you show me how to use it?"

The dwarf complied, and Sigrid was a natural at handling it. Its leather-bound hilt fit her hand perfectly, and the blade, which was around a foot long, ended up the perfect length and gave it a good weight while also being light enough for her to wield with ease. She loved its simple design with the elvish patterns engraved on it. Fili and Sigrid would still work together to perfect her techniques along the way, but she knew enough by the time they were ready to leave to hold her own for a few minutes if worse came to worse.

The company set off along the elven path at last. With Tauriel among them, who knew the woods like the back of her hand, their journey seemed so simple when compared to Fili and Kili's previous trip through them with Bilbo and company. The dwarves wondered how they could have missed the path and lost it but were unconcerned about this now.

They spent days and days among the trees and saw some spiders, which thankfully avoided them. Sigrid was frightened of them at first, but Tauriel assured her she had killed more spiders than she could count and they would be safe with her amongst them.

However, the human soon grew tired of seeing nothing but trees all around her. As much as she loved the forest, she also liked to be able to see the sunlight and admire trees from a distance. She discovered once inside its bounds, it really was not a friendly sort of woods, but almost menacing due to its thick darkness (Sauron's minions had corrupted it and the elves would spend many years restoring it to its former glory). They were still several days from the edge of the forest, and thankfully the scenery changed slightly as they neared it. The Enchanted River provided Sigrid with a welcome change in viewpoint, although she feared crossing it when she learned of its magical powers that would cause a person to go into a coma for several days. Fili and Kili told the women about Bombur's fall into the water, and Sigrid was worried but trusted her companions. They used the same little boat as before, and thankfully all four fit inside just fine. Needless to say, the human was relieved when everyone made it safely to the other side.

Once they were finally through the Forest of Mirkwood, they decided to stop at the Carrock and visit Beorn, thanking him for all his help. They had to travel along the banks of the Great River for a few days before they would arrive at the house of the skin-changer.

Once they arrived in the mid-afternoon, Kili nervously knocked at the door, wondering if they would find a man or a bear. The door opened and a tall man stepped out, a bit hairy and sweaty but kind-looking, in a wild sort of way. "Yes?" he asked.

"Hello, Beorn! Remember Fili and I from our stay with you a while back? We had Gandalf, eleven other dwarves, and a hobbit with us."

"Ah yes, I remember you. What do you want now?" he asked gruffly, for he did not care for visitors and disliked dwarves, even if he knew them.

Tauriel presented him with some fine elven wares. "Sir, here is a gift from Mirkwood. We were wondering if you would be so kind as to give us a place to rest for the night?" She smiled sweetly, hoping to win him over with some feminine charm and signalled for Sigrid to help her. She complied and also grinned at him, at the same time trying not to show her fear and wonder at the strange creature before her; he seemed so tall and scary when compared to dwarves or even elves. She had been in Dale as the Battle of the Five Armies raged on and Beorn had returned home before many of her people saw him, hence her wonder.

"Thank you," he replied gruffly, accepting the gift. "I suppose you can spend the night, although I ask that you bolt the doors tightly in the dark." Thus he graciously welcomed them and served them delicious honey from his own hives and sweet cream from his goats and cows.

They stayed with him two days, at his own insistence when the womenfolk wrapped him around their little fingers with their feminine charm, and then the foursome left quite refreshed.


	7. Chapter 7

**I really need to thank my new beta reader, Gigigue, for helping me! (She actually started with the previous chapter, so I owe that to her as well.) As always, thanks for reading &amp; staying with me!**

7\. Far Over the Misty Mountains

Their next long stay would be in Rivendell, many days travel from the Carrock. Tauriel had never been there because King Thranduil and Lord Elrond were not on the best of terms. She would not, however, harbour any negative feelings towards him just because her ruler did not like him. She did not need to worry about that just yet because they had to cross the Misty Mountains first. Lord Elrond, rather renowned for his hospitality and generosity, would likely welcome them in no matter what.

They crossed a bit further south than the dwarves had when they journeyed over and through so that they would better bypass the goblin caves. Unfortunately, the climb was steeper, longer, and rockier, but safety was more important than getting to a certain place at a certain time. They had no exact date at which they needed to be anywhere, and this fact made it easier for them to take their time and plan the best routes to reach their final destination. Consequently, the orcs had no idea they were there and the foursome arrived safely in Rivendell, much to everyone's relief.

Lord Elrond himself came out to greet them. "Fili, Kili! It is so good to see you both again! Welcome, Tauriel of Mirkwood. I have heard many wonderful things about how fine a warrior you are."

"Thank you, Lord Elrond. I have been looking forward to meeting you and seeing your beautiful city. And I would like you to know that Kili and I were wed a few weeks ago in Mirkwood."

"Congratulations! The two of you are a lovely couple. You are all welcome to stay as long as you like. And greetings to you, Sigrid of Dale. I see you have been through many trials in your short life and I hope your stay here refreshes you for the rest of your journey."

Sigrid, a bit embarrassed to be singled out by the elven lord, nervously expressed her gratitude to the kindly elf. "Thank you! I am sure I will enjoy my stay. Being with the elves in Mirkwood was such fun, although their kingdom is so much darker and more sombre than yours."

Elrond settled them into their rooms, draped in elven finery. Kili and Tauriel would share theirs, but Fili and Sigrid were placed in separate rooms just down the hall from each other. Sigrid, ecstatic to have an actual bed again, went to bed early and slept late the three weeks they remained there, except for her very last night. Those weeks seemed like only a few hours, full of feasting, dancing, listening to music, and even simply relaxing in the sun to read a good book or two. But after several weeks, it was time to move on to the next stage of their journey. Tauriel woke Sigrid up that early in the morning so they could leave as soon as possible.

"Sigrid!" The elf gently shook her. "Time to wake up! We shall be leaving soon."

The human sat up and yawned, her dark hair framing her face in a tumbled mess. "Ok. I'm awake."

"You still look half asleep to me!" Tauriel laughed. "Come on, Lord Elrond has a lovely breakfast planned and a certain dwarf is anxious to see you. Tell me, are feeling alright?"

Now more awake, Sigrid could give a coherent reply. "Yes, it is just that I am unaccustomed to walking so far! I am used to getting up early and staying up late in order to get all the work done around the house. I feel so much better now that I have gotten caught up on my sleep in this comfortable bed and have had such delicious and filling meals. You really think Fili is worried about me?"

"Yes, I can see it in his eyes. He loves you, you know, and wants to make sure you are safe, strong, and healthy." The elf kindly patted her hand and left the room to be with her own dwarf.

After a few minutes, Sigrid made her way to the dining area, where she found her three companions awaiting her. Fili patted the chair beside him, and she sat. "Good morning! Did you sleep well, dearest?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you! These elven beds are so luxurious, especially after sleeping on the hard ground for so long. How about you?"

"I did not want to leave my bed either! Yet at the same time I am rather anxious to return to mother and show you off!" Fili smiled at his love, who in turn blushed.

Sigrid turned away and helped herself to some fresh fruits and elven delicacies. All too soon the quartet finished their meal, packed up, and set out on their way. She almost did not want to go, but at the same time she wanted to meet her future husband's mother as well as see the Shire. She now knew Fili was her true love and wished she could plan her wedding, but she realized she had to respect her father and wait until the two years of courtship were up. Her seventeenth birthday would not come until they planned to be in the Blue Mountains and she hoped they would be able to celebrate it with the dwarves there, since she would be so far from her family. Homesickness tried to set in, but she pushed it away, reminding herself she belonged with Fili and her safety was more important than her close family ties.

The quartet was able to travel on the East Road because there was not much likelihood of danger; they had nothing of value to anyone, unless Esmerelda is counted. She was still in Dale, plotting Sigrid's demise, although the dwarves, human, and elf had almost forgotten the danger that lurked in their home. Yet the schoolteacher did not have any special powers and could not waylay them on their journey (unlike Saruman or other wizards, or the dark lord Sauron himself), so her plan would wait until the travellers returned. Besides, their incredibly long trip gave the schoolteacher plenty of time to devise the perfect plot.

Another two weeks on the road meant they closed in on the Shire, but still had about another week and a half to go if they were lucky. Weathertop, a large rocky formation, would provide their shelter for a night, much easier than trying to make a camp along the roadside. About a mile from the place, the dusk provided just enough reddish light to see their destination. "There, that is Weathertop," Tauriel pointed out to Sigrid.

At that moment, a fearsome growl sounded in front of them. Immediately, Fili, Kili, and Tauriel drew their weapons and prepared to face the danger, while Sigrid simply stood there, having no idea what was going on. An enormous brown bear raised on its hind legs to the side of the road, looking their way menacingly, as if daring them to try and pass.

"Sigrid," Tauriel stated slowly and calmly, "I need you to quietly dig in our packs and find something with which to make lots of noise. Perhaps we can scare him away instead of killing him." She did as she was told and came up with two cooking pots, which Tauriel took and clapped together furiously.

"Go away, Mr. Bear! We do not wish to harm you but simply to pass!" Much to Sigrid's surprise, the elf charged at the bruin, as did the brothers. Luckily for them the beast was not hungry and he soon ambled away to find a soft resting place for the night. The company breathed a collective sigh of relief and continued up to Weathertop. There they lit a large fire, which they knew would keep any other unwanted creatures away from them while they rested.

The path the travellers took went straight to Bree, where they stayed at the Prancing Pony Inn several days after crossing paths with the bear. Located along the Shire's edge, both men and hobbits were abundant in the small town, and the innkeeper told them he had special rooms just for the latter due to their small size. The lodgings were a bit shady in Sigrid's mind; she was not used to seeing so many males drinking and having fun where she was sheltered in her own home for so long. But she trusted her companions and knew they would not let anything unseemly happen. The innkeeper treated them kindly and made sure they took rooms further away from the merrymaking, sensing the young woman's discomfort.

"Don't pay them no mind, dearie. Most of the men that come through here would never hurt a woman, although each other is another story," he murmured to her, patting her hand. Then Fili draped his arm around her shoulders, which felt both natural and comforting.

"Thank you, sir! I shall try to ignore them. I suppose you can tell I haven't really been away from home before," she replied. She still sounded slightly nervous so Fili squeezed her shoulder protectively.

The innkeeper led them to their accommodations. Luckily for them, there were few other lodgers and they had a whole wing of the building to themselves and were able to take their respite undisturbed.


	8. Chapter 8

_**As always, thank you Gigigue for beta reading! She has been such a blessing &amp; I am greatly indebted to her.**_

_**Note: I apologize if this chapter gets overly sappy. If you have tips on making my romantic scenes less sappy, I'd love to hear them! AS I would any other comments or suggestions you have, of course!**_

**8\. Bag End**

Before Sigrid knew it, the four companions were entering the Shire five days after leaving the Prancing Pony; they had been able to stay in various other inns every night, a nice luxury compared to the rest of their travels. Once they entered Hobbiton, they searched for Bag End, quite easy to do as it was a rather infamous place at the moment. After inquiring around, they were quickly pointed in its direction. They found the responses rather humorous; it seemed many hobbits rather disapproved of Bilbo's trip and were quite upset that he returned, especially those who were close to the Sackville-Baggins' clan. Bilbo had returned home several weeks prior to the start of the foursome's journey and was now settled back into his old routines for the most part. He had grown rather frustrated, however, when he learned some of his most prized possessions had been disposed of, and had been rather busy trying to buy them back from the greedy hobbits. He suspected that nasty Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, his snooty and disliked relation, had taken some of his favourite objects and hidden them away where he would never see them again. Having some guests provided a break from his searching and he welcomed them with open arms.

"Fili, Kili, what a surprise! Tell me, is it common for dwarves to show up unexpected at hobbits' doors?" He laughed as he greeted his old friends with playful and hearty slaps on the back.

The brothers joined in the merriment. "We are trying not to make a habit of it!" Kili chuckled, fondly recalling their very first meeting. "And you did invite us to come back at any time; you told us tea is at four, although I know we have missed it for today. Bilbo, this is my wife Tauriel of Mirkwood, and this is Fili's girlfriend Sigrid, Bard's eldest daughter."

Bilbo clapped Kili on the back. "Ha, I knew you and that elf were destined for each other! But I never expected this relationship between Sigrid and Fili! How could I have missed that?" he pondered. "Anyway, do come in! I have plenty of room for you all to stay as long as you like, although I may run out of food if any more dwarves come!" Here he winked at the brothers and they knew he was just teasing.

Sigrid had enjoyed all the elven food in both Mirkwood and Rivendell, yet when she first tasted hobbit food, she was reminded of her home. The halflings had meals that made a person comfortable, and she found it helped her to sit back, rest, and enjoy herself. She felt so welcome and was loathe to leave their hospitality. On their journey, she had lost some weight and was quite tired. For the first time since setting out from home, she truly began to feel herself again, even if her homesickness still plagued her from time to time. Her stay in Rivendell had certainly refreshed her and she would not have traded it for anything in the world, but the weeks it took to get to the Shire seemed longer, perhaps because the trail was much easier and sometimes felt as though it dragged on and would never end.

Fili had noticed his sweetheart seemed to go downhill after leaving Elrond's marvellous hospitality and had become rather worried. He took Bilbo aside privately to discuss the matter. "Bilbo, my dear Sigrid seems to need some time to recover; I'm afraid the journey has been rather hard on her. Would you mind if we stay with you for a week so she can get back to her normal self? She already seems to have blossomed overnight with just one of your delicious meals."

"Stay as long as you like! You certainly have a treasure there and it wouldn't do to have her getting sick on you, especially not so far from her home." Bilbo had sensed the same thing about Sigrid and was more than happy to have company who was not curious about his adventures and didn't judge him for leaving his home so unexpectedly, and returning even more surprisingly. In fact, some of his "friends" might have preferred to have him dead, eaten alive by a dragon; it seemed much more exciting that way!

"Thank you, Bilbo! You are so kind. I shall tell the others our plans." He immediately set out to find his companions. Kili and Tauriel were out strolling together in the garden and he did not wish to disturb them, so he went through the hobbit hole and eventually found his love in the library.

"Sigrid, sweetheart, how would you like to rest here for a week?" he inquired.

"I would enjoy that so much!" she replied, throwing her arms around him.

"I've noticed the journey has been hard on you and I want you to recover a bit more before we try to find my mother." He looked deeply into her eyes, his concern and love for her rather overwhelming.

"Yes, Fili, I have had a hard time. I have never done this much walking in my entire life! I will admit my feet have been hurting and I am quite tired, although Rivendell was a blessing I shall not forget."

He brushed some stray hairs aside. "That is exactly why we need to stay here and let you rest. We knew when we brought you that you weren't as used to this lifestyle as the rest of us are, but I selfishly wanted you here by my side. I'm sorry."

"Oh Fili!" Sigrid cried, so touched by his care for her that she could hardly contain her excitement. "Of course I forgive you! I wanted to be with you as well."

"You have never thought about how strange it is for a dwarf and a human to be together, have you?"

"I never gave that a second thought. Who cares if you are a dwarf and I a human? I have found we really are not that different, and neither are elves or hobbits. The only thing that matters is that we love each other and will care for each other the rest of our days. However, I did realize that the lifespan of humans is shorter than that of dwarves – does this bother you?" Suddenly concerned he might reject her, she looked down, fearing an answer she did not want.

"Sigrid, Sweetheart," he crooned, lifting her chin with his finger, "I care not that you will not live as long as a dwarf woman would. Any number of years that I have with you I will cherish. Tauriel feels the same way about Kili; he will eventually pass on, leaving her a widow. Yet she is willing to give a part of her life to him because she loves him. Sigrid, I love you and how when our two years of courtship are up you will allow me to marry you."

"I love you too and would be honoured to marry you as soon as my father allows it."

Then they shared their very first kiss, tender, long, and passionate. Sigrid's mind wandered to what their children would look like: would they be shorter than most humans? Would their daughters have excess facial hair like dwarf women? Would they look more like her, or Fili, or both? Then she shook herself. "Sigrid!" she yelled at herself in her mind. "You are not married yet so don't let your mind go there!" So she was the one to break the kiss, afraid her mind would go too far.

The couple looked into each other's eyes lovingly, still with their arms wrapped around each other. Fili had been having similar thoughts and even though he hated that their kiss had ended, he knew it was best for both of them. They did not want to fully break apart just yet, however, so Sigrid snuggled against his chest.

"Sigrid, sweetheart, get some rest now. Our week will be up before we know it." The dwarf released her, and she reluctantly stepped out of his strong embrace, a chill sweeping over her as his warmth disappeared.

"Alright!" she answered sweetly. "Goodnight, my love!"

"Goodnight!" With that, Fili left the room before his emotions could overcome him. He, as a man of honour, could not bring himself to compromise their integrity.

The next day Sigrid slept extremely late and woke up with a terrible headache. Tauriel knocked on the door. "Come in," she sniffed, sounding congested. Then she coughed.

The elf cautiously opened the door. "Are you alright?" She hurried over to the bed and checked her forehead. "I think you have a fever. I'll be back. You rest. Would you like me to send Fili in?"

Alarmed, she shook her head. "No! Please, I don't want him to see me like this. He's already worried enough."

"If you say so, but I won't hide it from him that you're sick, if he asks." Leaving the room, Tauriel consulted with Bilbo and he gave her some feverfew to make into a tea along with some peppermint. He also fixed some slices of toast with a smorgasbord of jams, jellies, and even marmalade to put on them, insisting that food is the answer to just about any problem. Just then, Fili walked in and noticed his sister-in-law about to take a tray of food to someone. "Is Kili sick? Is his leg acting up again?" he inquired, concerned the orc poison could possibly still be in his brother's blood and make him ill yet again.

"No, he's fine. Sigrid has a cold."

"Will she be alright?"

"I think so. She just needs to rest some. I think the journey has affected her more than she's let on."

"May I take the tray to her?"

"She doesn't really want you to see her like that, but you can if you want..."

"No, you'd better go on. I'll see if Kili wants to explore Hobbiton with me." The elf smiled and went on her way.

Unbeknownst to anyone, a certain dark lady had just found her way to the Shire. After staying and plotting in Dale for a while, she felt the urge to be close to the handsome blonde dwarf and finally gave way, locating a fast horse and charging off after her true love. Her sheer determination brought her through the dark forest of Mirkwood, through the Misty Mountains, and all the way to Hobbiton. After the locals rudely stared at her, she marched up to a rather rotund man who could not control his shocked expression. "You there! I need to find out where a master Bilbo Baggins lives. Please direct me to his home at once, and tell your friends to quit staring at me. Haven't you ever seen a human before?"

He hemmed and hawed. "He lives at Bag End, ma'am. And no, we are not accustomed to humans coming into our villages." He pointed her in the right direction and described the luxurious accommodations, so she thanked him and headed on her way. After carefully hiding her horse, she walked the rest of the way and cautiously peaked in the windows. She noticed the threesome in the kitchen and overheard some of their conversation. So, the insolent little girl had gotten sick! Humph. Couldn't even get two-thirds of the way to the Blue Mountains, while Esmerelda made it all the way to the Shire by herself. Surely that would help Fili to see what a good catch she was!

The blonde dwarf moved to go outside, so she quickly moved to the door she expected him to come out. After adjusting her garments, she sidled up to him. "Good day, Master Dwarf of Erebor!"

A bit startled, he took a moment to reply. "Good morning! What are you doing here?"

"Just taking a break from my teaching. As much as I enjoy it, one needs to get away from it all every once in a while. If I had known you were headed the same direction, we could have travelled together!" She batted her eyes at him.

"I suppose so…Did you travel all this way by yourself?"

"Yes!" She beamed. "It really was nice to be alone for the first few days, but after that I got bored with my own company. Do you ever plan to go back to Dale?"

"Yes, once I find my mother. But that will take much too long for you to come along."

"I suppose you are right. But where are you headed right now? We could visit a bit on your way…"she smiled and slipped her arm through his, which he immediately removed.

The dwarf sighed. "My brother and I are going to walk around Hobbiton a bit. We didn't get much of a chance to explore the last time we were here, and now that we've befriended Bilbo both of us are anxious to meet more of these amazing hobbits."

"Oh, that sounds lovely!"

Fabulous. The flirty schoolteacher had just attached herself to Fili and he did not like that at all. But how could he get rid of her and tell her he was already taken, with no hope of changing his mind? Was she just trying to be friendly, or did she want something more than friendship?

Just then, Kili came from wandering in Bilbo's garden. "Fili! Ready to explore? Oh, good day, ma'am!" He noticed Esmerelda and smiled, although his brother detected confusion in his expression.

"Good morning! I'm coming with you two! Fili invited me along," she purred, lying through her teeth.

"Alright…" he stammered as they headed off.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author's Note: I appreciate feedback, any kind! Thanks!  
**_

_**And one last thing: Thank you Gigigue for beta-reading! She points out many things I don't see on my own and I hope it's much improved through all her work once I finally get it to you.**_

**9\. The Final Stage***

While Tauriel remained unhappy about Esmerelda's presence, she still could not figure out why she didn't like the woman and refused to trust her. Usually her elvish instincts were right about others, and it bothered her not to know what was going on inside the woman's head. She did notice the schoolteacher using the time Sigrid was sick to her advantage, spending as much time with Fili as he would allow, which did not please him in the slightest. He was too nice to tell her to go away.

Sigrid recovered after a few days of Bilbo's kind care; he knew of many different teas and foods that helped ease her time of illness. Thus, just as Fili said, the week at Bag End passed by all too quickly. All four travellers enjoyed relaxing and having fun, so they were well-rested and prepared for the last leg of their journey. Even Sigrid was feeling much more like herself and now had a healthy glow about her instead of pallor, much to Fili's relief.

Bilbo was loath to see them go, yet at the same time was getting a bit tired of all the comments from his neighbours. They thought it very strange to have all those house guests and kept on trying to peek in the windows at them and consequently he had to keep the curtains and shutters closed most of the time. Not that he cared what others thought anymore – he had lost much of his respectability by gallivanting off with the dwarves, as the other hobbits quaintly put it. Rather, the kindly hobbit was concerned for his company and wanted them to feel welcome instead of like some sort of weird spectacle.

"Please, when you are finished visiting your mother, come back to Bag End! It would be a pleasure to have all of you and you are welcome at any time."

"Thank you so much for your wonderful hospitality! You would almost put an elf to shame!" Tauriel replied for all of them.

After making sure everyone carried sacks of food, the hobbit hugged each of his guests and bid them a fond farewell and safe travels. He stood by his door, pipe in hand wafting smoke rings into the air, as he watched the travellers disappear beyond the horizon. Relief and sadness filled him. As happy as he was to be alone again, he had had so little time to himself the past year (excepting the many weeks he spent fending for himself within the halls of the Elvenking) that he hardly knew what to do with himself.

Once the foursome were outside the city limits of Hobbiton, Esmerelda popped up on her horse. "Good day! Are you all headed to the Blue Mountains?"

"Yes," Kili answered, miffed to see the annoying woman once again; he knew how much his brother wanted to get away from her.

"I really wish I could join you! Will it take long to get there from here?"

"I expect it to take a good week or more, and even then we are not sure the exact location of the dwarf encampment."

The schoolteacher sighed. "I suppose I cannot join you, then. I really should head back to my students. I've probably been away too long already. Well, I do hope you find your mother!" She rode off, disappointed that she'd made no headway with Fili at all. However, instead of heading back towards Dale, she once again followed the small company, unable to let Fili go too far from her just yet. He needed to go back to the Lonely Mountain, the only place she was really comfortable and knew what she was doing. A sly grin turned up the corners of her lips as her horse plodded along. She knew exactly what would cause him to return home, and she was the person to make that happen. Dismounting from her steed, she searched among the large variety of green plants and colourful flowers. At last she found the purple-tinted, nine-pointed and almost snowflake-shaped leafy vegetation with its ashen fluff on the rounded seed pods: castor beans. A handkerchief held carefully in her hand, she picked six beans and folded them away in her bags. The ricin laced within their skins was the perfect solution to her problem. Now to set the plan into action!

The foursome was on the road again, closing in on Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains. The terrain, relatively flat between the Shire and their destination, meant they did not expect it to take very long. The distance was quite great, however, and they had a river to cross between the two locations. It could, perhaps, take three weeks to arrive at their destination. To complicate matters a bit more, they were not quite sure of the exact location of the dwarves there and expected it could take a few extra days to find them, perhaps even a few weeks if things did not go as well as they hoped. Fili and Kili especially were keyed up with the anticipation of seeing their mother again. Yet they would also be bearing the news of her brother Thorin's death, which they dreaded telling her but knew she needed to hear the news; it likely wouldn't surprise her anyway.

Sixteen days later, the Blue Mountains were within sight. Fili stopped and stared, then gently grabbed Sigrid's arm and pointed her towards the high, rocky peaks. "Those, my dear, are the Blue Mountains, Ered Luin! Are they not gorgeous?"

"Fili! How beautiful! And the mists do make them look blue! I have never seen anything so lovely, not even Rivendell." She scooted closer into a friendly side-hug.

Kili was in a similar situation with Tauriel when Fili proclaimed, "Let us be off to find our mother; she is likely worried sick and the sooner we get to her the better. And we must still cross the River Lhûn somehow."

"Right. Off to Ered Luin!" Kili agreed.

The weather was warm enough that the party decided to ford the river in its shallowest place, which ended up being shoulder deep for the shortest of them, Sigrid. They tied a rope between the four of them, just in case someone lost his or her footing. Fili paved the way across, followed by his brother, then Sigrid, and Tauriel brought up the rear. His feet searched for solid footing, thus the going was slow. However, his footsteps remained firm and stable, providing a safe path for the rest of his companions. A collective sigh of relief released from every person when they made it to the other side in safety, rather wet but happy and even closer to the Blue Mountains.

They journeyed on another week and finally arrived at the dwarf encampment. A scout met them and after reuniting with Fili and Kili, and being introduced to Tauriel and Sigrid, directed them to Dís's tent.

As soon as they located it, the dwarves made themselves known and walked in. The elf and human stayed outside, wishing their lovers to have some privacy before more introductions could be made.

Dís was a frailer version of herself than her sons remembered. Her once strong and youthful body now hunched over, and many lines had formed on her face that neither of her sons remembered being as pronounced as they were now. However, she jumped out of her bed as soon as she heard their voices.

"You came back!" she cried. "I missed you boys so much! I was beginning to fear your homecoming was not meant to be! Fili, you took care of Kili!"

"I promised I would return, Mother, and I did! Thanks to my big brother's guardianship, and that of Uncle Thorin, and pretty much all our other companions." Kili hugged her, extremely glad to see her again, then stepped aside so his brother could do likewise. His mind went back to the night when he told this promise to Tauriel and triumph flashed in his eyes that he had made it good at last! "I have some bad news and some good news…" he started off, unsure how to tell her of her brother's death.

"Yes? The bad news first, to get it out of the way."

"Mother, Uncle Thorin was killed in the Battle of the Five Armies – I'll fill you in about that later. Cousin Dain became the King of Erebor since Fili and I did not desire to rule."

"Oh, no! Did my brother suffer long?" As disheartened as she was, the old dwarf held little surprise at this revelation; Thorin had always been rather aggressive and did not know when to give in or ask for help if he fought.

"He did for a while, I am afraid to say; at least that is what we were told. Fili and I were unconscious at the time from our own injuries –" he paused when he saw her eyebrows raise in concern, "We are perfectly well now so no need to worry. I'm so sorry, Mother! Fili and I tried our best to protect him, but there were too many foes. We were separated toward the end and were not anywhere near him when he received his fatal injuries." Kili's voice became choked with emotion and he lowered his gaze, regretting that he could not save his uncle.

"There, there. I know you fought your best and did all you could. He was a tough old thing and likely would have been killed by some other foul creature before long. I do not blame either of you for his death. I never expected to see him again anyway. But why did you two renounce the throne? I thought Fili always wanted to rule the Lonely Mountain once Thorin was gone."

"That was a childhood dream, mother. I could not bear the thought of ruling after my uncle died such a tragic death, and I would want Kili to share in my duties as well. You know how that would work out!" Fili smiled and lightly punched his brother's arm, and Kili returned the good-natured gesture.

Dís chuckled. "I know! Wait, you told me you also have good news?"

"Yes! Both of us do! Tauriel, Sigrid, please come in!" the dwarves said together, and Dís raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes at the mention of two female names.

The elf and human walked in. "Good day! 'Tis a pleasure to meet you!" the women stated graciously.

Dís was confused; after all, dwarves and elves, while not necessarily enemies, had as little contact as possible, although both had passable interactions with humans on occasion. "Good day! Who are you two?" And what were her sons doing with such strange companions?

"Mother, this is my love Sigrid." Fili presented his future bride. "I met her in Dale and we fell in love. I could not leave bear to leave her there alone and selfishly asked her to join us. Her father kindly allowed her to come with us, as you can see. We have been granted a two-year courtship, and we have his blessing to marry at the end of this time."

The dwarf lady, ecstatic, drew Sigrid into a big hug. "I am happy to meet you! I have desired for my boys to settle down for several years now, but I never dreamed this mad journey of theirs would lead to romance! Welcome to the family!" Although she found it odd that he had chosen such a bride, she eagerly embraced the young woman into the family, the love of her son being enough to gain her affection as well.

While happy to see her future mother-in-law, Sigrid was also a bit taken aback. The dwarves had failed to inform her that all of their kind sport beards, both men and women, and the women rarely shave! Seeing a female with so much facial hair was a new experience; the young lady tried her best to hide her surprise yet felt she failed. Fili noticed her discomfort and winked at her, which assured her everything would be fine. Besides, she had been welcomed so warmly that she could not help but love her future mother-in-law already.

Tauriel, on the other hand, knew quite a bit about dwarves and their somewhat strange customs. She definitely had been more prepared than her travelling companion and gently squeezed Sigrid's hand, a silent way of telling her she was there for her and knew this dwarf lady would accept them.

"And Mother, I also have a surprise." Kili pulled Tauriel closer. "This is Tauriel, my beautiful wife!"

"What!?"

"Yes, we were married a few months ago in her home of Mirkwood. We simply could not wait until we got here to Ered Luin!"

"My Kili, married! Come here, sweetie." She motioned to Tauriel and hugged her also. "I am so glad my son has found you. I can tell the love between you is strong and lasting."

Dís had learned it was better not to harbour ill feelings towards other races, particularly elves and men, since most of them were on the good side. She knew she would not be around much longer and was grateful to see her sons settling down. However, in all her days she never would have guessed her family would include an elf, especially knowing how Thorin felt about them.

"Mother, Tauriel, I must admit something to you both." Kili's' face held a grave expression.

"Yes?" they both asked at once, a bit anxious of what he might say.

"Well, when all fifteen of us stayed at Rivendell the first time, I have to admit I really did not fancy those elf women. Sure, I knew their own people thought them beautiful, but you, Mother, know that I have always preferred our own people. Any self-respecting dwarf likes a stocky woman with a beard, rough around the edges and all that." He turned to look at his lady, surprise showing in her eyes. "However, when I first saw you, Amralime," he slipped into the dwarvish endearment, his own language flooding back to him as he was surrounded by his people once more, "I knew there was something different. I no longer felt odd about elves! Just something about you changed my mind. Perhaps it is because I could tell you are a great warrior, something I admire greatly in women. You changed my mind about true beauty, and as we've been married these months I have found you to be the most beautiful of all."

"Kili!" his mother and wife exclaimed in tandem again, the former in shock and embarrassment and the latter in sheer love and admiration.

"Mother Dís, it is fine, really. I admire my Kili for admitting this and it only makes me love him all the more. I also must confess I found dwarves a bit strange at first; among my people no one has facial hair! But I find a beard makes a man look rugged and handsome, especially your precious son!"

The dwarf lady laughed, clearly liking her new daughter-in-law. "My, my! What shall I do with you all?

However, I am afraid life is not all fun and games. Fili, Kili, may I speak with you boys in private again?" Turning to their loves, she asked, "Begging your pardon, ladies!"

"Yes, Mother!" her sons replied, and the womenfolk smiled and took their leave, understanding the need for the three to have some alone time.

"Oh my sweet boys! I shall not be in this world much longer. Having both of you and my brother Thorin gone so long has wreaked havoc on my body. I have not been well since you left and sense that my time is near."

"Mother, no!" Fili did not want to hear that his beloved mother was dying; he'd already seen too much dwarvish blood shed on the battlefield and another loss seemed much too soon.

"Fili, please do not worry about me! I can now rest in peace. I know you boys are safe and that you have good women at your sides to tend you until your last days. You do not need me anymore, and neither does Thorin."

The dwarf brothers were sad but knew their mama was right, as usual. Then Kili excused himself to talk with Tauriel. Fili stayed with Dís a few more minutes, then took his leave. Yet about a half hour later, Kili and Tauriel reappeared.

"Mother, Tauriel and I have some more good news we want to share."

"Do not just stand there; tell me!" she demanded.

Tauriel stepped forward, taking the dwarf lady's hands in both of hers. "Naneth Dís, I am bearing your son's child!" They embraced, and the eyes of the grandmother-to-be shone with happy tears.

"I'm so happy for you! My Kili, a father! Tell me, when will the child be born?"

"A bit less than a year from now if all goes well! And if we have a daughter, she shall be named in memory of you, and our son after your brother Thorin."

Kili smiled in approval at his dear wife. Then a group hug was due and all three gladly obliged.

*** Note: This chapter has some features inspired by a pin on Pinterest. It's a really sad &amp; sweet lament about how Fili took care of Kili &amp; no one expected them both to die, which is why only Kili promised to return to his mother. The idea was so good that I felt I had to include that in here somewhere!**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Dear guest, I am sorry in the delay for this chapter! My beta reader has a lot on her plate &amp; hasn't been able to get to this chapter for me yet, so it's unedited by anyone other than myself. I plan to update it once she is able to look it over for me, so please check it out for changes soon. Also, I plan to make some small changes in the first seven chapters or so. Obviously nothing that will affect the story, but hopefully it will make it flow a bit better and not be as rushed.**_

_**And please leave me some reviews! What do you like about this story?**_

**10\. A Sad Departure**

The four traveling companions remained in Ered Luin for several days. Sigrid's birthday came, and they all had a huge celebration in Dís's tent. Fili asked some of his kin make her a special dwarf cake and happily presented it to her. "This is a dwarf delicacy, a cake with poppy seeds and fruit. I hope you enjoy it! I wasn't sure what kind of treats you like."

"Fili! Thank you!" she cried happily, hugging him as soon as he set her gift down on the table. He handed her a knife, and she slowly cut it into pieces, trying hard not to mar its rugged beauty too much. Outside, its topping consisted of a pale shade a pink, which Kili said came from a certain edible plant native to the area. Inside, bits of fruits and poppy seeds popping out in tiny bursts of colour amongst the pale, creamy shade of the cake part. When Sigrid took the first bite of her treat, her eyes closed in sheer rapture as she savoured the sweet and sour fruity juiciness, and Fili laughed at her enjoyment. "I see we have found you a new favourite food!"

"Yes, I love it even more than all we had at Rivendell or even Bag End!"

Everyone else dug into their slices, although none had quite the experience that the lone human did as she relished the treat.

But joy in life was about to fade some for two certain dwarf brothers. Now that Dís finally had her two sons back home, she felt she could succumb to her consumption and die in peace. She knew she would not live long even before their return. However, having them near perked her up considerably and gave her a new will to live as long as possible. She used her final days to reunite with her boys, as she still referred to them, and to get to know her daughters-in-law better.

A week after their arrival, Esmerelda made a special pot of stew and under the cover of night brought it to Dís's tent. She'd watched it several hours and was fairly certain everyone else had left. Her feet made no noise on the soft grass and she made sure her voice was quiet as she sought entry. "Mother Dís? It's Sigrid. May I come in?" The dark lady tried to sound as much like her nemesis as possible.

"Yes, my child, I'm not asleep yet."

A risky move but one she must make, the schoolteacher boldly entered the tent and breathed a sigh of relief that it would just be the two of them; her faithful watching had paid off and they were the only ones in the shelter now. She walked over to the pallet, the light of a solitary candle only enough to make out the prostrate form on the makeshift bed. "I made some stew for you. Think you can eat some?"

"That's lovely of you. I'll try a few bites. I just haven't felt like eating much lately."

The dwarf woman took the bowl of stew and obligingly ate several large spoonfuls. "This is delicious. Thank you. Now I know you can properly feed my son!" she smiled.

"It was nothing. And you know I love your son very dearly. I'd do anything for him." Esmerelda's voice dripped with sweetness.

The two sat in silence as Dís ate, then she sat back and handed the bowl to the lady she thought was Sigrid, never catching on to the masquerade. "I can't eat anymore. I'm sorry. I know you worked hard on it."

"It's fine. You ate enough to satisfy me! I shall just take my leave and let you rest. Goodnight!" With that Esmerelda left, knowing the dwarf would be dead by morning. She'd put the castor beans in the stew and when she checked the remaining contents of the bowl, she found them all missing. Good! That would get rid of one person! Now to only dispense with everyone else and get inside that mountain!

The next morning Kili walked into the tent to find his mother slumped over in an unnatural position. He rushed to her side and discovered her cold, lifeless body to be stiff with rigour mortis, a bit of dried blood at the corners of her mouth. Clasping her hand, tears formed in his eyes and his throat became tight; no words could form in his mouth. He knew this day would come but hadn't expected it so soon. Why did losing his mother seem different than the battles he'd been in? It wasn't as if he'd never seen death before. Yet having his mother gone broke his heart, as though someone reached into his chest and squeezed it, causing a lack of oxygen and consequently that feeling one gets when one can't breathe. Except his heart rather than lungs had no air, the life juice that supported it suddenly cut off. Fili arrived on the scene and gasped at the sight. He embraced his brother and they mourned in silence for a long while. The death of his father had been enough of a shock, but at least it was during a battle and not exactly unexpected. He never thought his mother could be gone this soon.

Then, Tauriel and Sigrid arrived at the door and called out. "Are you alright in there? May we come in?"

Fili choked out a heart-wrenching, "Come in."

The womenfolk cautiously entered and immediately rushed to their dwarves' sides. Sigrid had no words but simply wrapped herself around Fili and let her tears flow as she tried to comfort him. Her future mother-in-law had been so kind in welcoming her and she'd hoped they could at least exchange letters once she made it back home to Dale. However, that was not meant to be.

Tauriel tried to comfort Kili as well and allowed him to stay silent. There really were no words to say at such a time as this. At last, as if one, the four got up and the elf made a suggestion. "Fili, Kili, if you want to go somewhere and think about things, Sigrid and I can care for the situation here. I am truly sorry."

A mist formed in Kili's eyes. "Thank you, Meleth. I don't think I can handle this tent any longer."

With that the elf and human shooed their men away and got to work on preparing the corpse for burial. Sigrid had never done such a thing before and would have been sick had not Tauriel handled things calmly yet firmly expected her to aid in the task.

The dwarf lady's sons buried her in regal dwarf fashion and remained there in the encampment to mourn a few more days. The dwarves were grateful to have their womenfolk there to grant them comfort in their sorrow. Then they decided it was time to go back to Erebor and help their cousin Dain rebuild the once-great kingdom.

O_O

Three weeks later they arrived in Hobbiton for the second time and went straight to Bilbo's home of Bag End, reaching their destination just in time for tea at precisely four-o'clock, exactly as the kindly hobbit had invited the dwarves to do long ago in Erebor when he left for home.

"Welcome back!" he greeted them as he opened the door. "I trust your journey went well?"

"Yes, it did, thank you! Unfortunately, our dear mother passed away a few days after we were reunited with her," Fili answered, the grief still fresh in his mind.

"I'm sorry, Fili and Kili." Memories of his own parents' deaths flashed inside his head and he understood the pain the dwarves experienced. Perhaps some good hobbit hospitality would help. "Please come in and have some refreshments; I just finished baking a loaf of bread so it will be nice and hot." He gave them both a kindly hug, recalling the death of his own parents and wanting to show them he remained their faithful friend.

"That would be lovely. Thank you!" This time Tauriel replied.

Hence they went into the hobbit hole once again, quite grateful for Bilbo's hospitality. He insisted they stay several more days, and they complied.

Once again the company headed on their way towards their new home of Erebor. This time they travelled through the Old Forest and were greeted by a certain man, Tom Bombadil.

"Hello, my dear travellers! It has been a long time since I have seen dwarves and elves keeping company," he greeted them, appearing quite friendly.

"Good day, sir! I am Tauriel, and this is my husband Kili, his brother Fili, and our friend, as well as Fili's fiancée, Sigrid."

"Yes, I know, my dear friends. Most people call me Tom, Tom Bombadil. However, the elves call me Iarwain Ben-adar, the dwarves Forn, and some men Orald."

Now all the companions recognised this strange yet kind man. "'Tis a pleasure to meet you," Tauriel again spoke for all.

"Thank you! Now I should love to have to you come to my house for the night! My wife, Goldberry, enjoys visitors but we do not get them often."

"Are you sure it would not be a great imposition on you?"

"Nonsense! It would do us both good to have some young souls about."

The foursome agreed to stay the night and had a lovely time. Tom had a wonderful sense of humour and so many stories! They could have stayed years just listening to him. Goldberry enjoyed singing her tales, quite a delightful entertainer. Her voice, soprano, was melodic like the rain softly falling on a thatched roof on a midsummer day. They heard numerous delightful accounts of when Middle Earth was much younger. The ladies especially enjoyed the saga of how Tom and Goldberry met and married.

Tom Bombadil was a happy creature, always singing and humming, just enjoying life in general. His joy spread to the other four so they felt the happiest they had in quite a long time. Fili and Kili, in particular, felt their spirits lighten; they had experienced too much fighting and death lately. It was nice to remember life is not all about war and peace is preferable, although not always possible.

The couple asked them to stay longer, and they agreed three days would be fine, then they would really have to be on their way. Kili had become a bit worried about Tauriel, since she was expecting. He had never been a father before and had no idea how pregnancy worked with elves, but she told him the gestation period is about a year and she had ten more months to go. She insisted she felt fine and was not in the least tired. Kili decided to simply let the matter go, at least until she was further along.

Fili and Sigrid also were getting a bit anxious to get back; they were not even married yet, and Kili and Tauriel made them long for such a relationship and children of their own.

Despite the slight unrest in their hearts, they all felt well-rested and satisfied after their stay with Tom and Goldberry ended. In fact, they hated to leave but knew they needed to get back home. The couple made sure they were well-provisioned before sending them on their way, and all regretted parting ways.

The quartet made their way to Rivendell, quite uneventful. Lord Elrond welcomed his guests and even offered to perform the wedding ceremony for Fili and Sigrid. Yet they decided to wait until their return to Dale; Bard, as well as Sigrid's brother and sister, would be extremely disappointed if they were not invited to the wedding. Although Sigrid had grown to love the elves and their culture, she preferred her own and desired a human wedding, with which Fili concurred. Additionally, their two-year courtship had not reached its end. They felt they needed to respect Bard's wishes and wait until that time was up, which would be fairly soon after they finally went back home to Dale.

Several days were spent in this lovely elven dwelling, full of relaxation. During that time, dwarf and elf-ruler had a private conversation. Kili knew Elrond had the gift of foresight and asked about Tauriel, his worry for her growing as they were only about halfway done with their journey, and that the easier part as far as geography is concerned.

"Lord Elrond, I am a bit worried about my wife, Tauriel. Can you tell me if her pregnancy will be affected by all this travelling?"

The elf lord smiled. "Kili, she will be just fine! Elves are hardier than you think. Tauriel is strong and as she told you, this early in her condition exercise is good for her and will not harm your child. I would suggest trying to get to the Lonely Mountain a couple of months before she is due, something with which you should have no issue."

"Thank you! Do you know if we have a son or daughter?"

"A son, and I daresay you shall name him after your uncle Thorin. He was a brave dwarf."

"That he was."

With that, the dwarf was satisfied and returned to his wife, who was resting in their room.

A few days later, the company was off again. The journey got rougher here, as the next step would be to once again cross the Misty Mountains.

O_O

Meanwhile, Esmerelda experienced a huge rush of fear as she realized what she'd just done. She had never killed a person before. What if someone found out she was the one who'd advanced Dís's death? Her heart had pounded so wildly when she overheard Kili finding her dead body that she'd raced to her horse and galloped away. The mad dash towards Dale continued save only a few necessary breaks for her horse's sake. Consequently, she arrived home in record time.

Once she'd been back a few days, she calmed a bit and was better able to process her journey's events. Anger radiated from her green eyes, her brow furrowed as she pondered and plotted revenge. Her advances towards Fili in Hobbiton met such a cold reaction. Surely now that his mother was dead he'd have to turn to someone for comfort and hopefully become more vulnerable to those who seemed to care. However, she still had the small matter of that stupid girl who seemed determine to marry him. She knew Sigrid would not willingly give Fili up, and he was obviously very affectionate towards her. She suspected he was that upright, one-woman type, not a ladies' man. Thus she concluded murdering Sigrid seemed the best option, fairly simple and straightforward. Already she'd made one kill; what was another in the life of someone so desperate for power? But how to accomplish this task without being suspected or caught? Bard loved his children and would hunt the schoolteacher down if he suspected her. On top of that, dwarves were well-known for their expertise in fighting, some of which she had witnessed first-hand in the terror of the Battle of the Five Armies. Things did not bode well for her if a dwarf happened to be near when she executed her plan. This killing spree would have to be carefully planned so that no one would know or guess she had a hand in the matter. Having an elf on the dwarf's side was not going to help matters either; Esmerelda knew little about elves but felt certain they were very perceptive creatures, thus she was worried the female elf might find her out and prosecute. Not to mention Tauriel seemed to be a friend of the ruthless Elvenking, whose wrath most people greatly feared. Esmerelda was no exception, finding Thranduil one of the most intimidating persons she had ever seen. Extra caution was needed in this endeavour to assure she would not fail.

She also hoped deviously that ill had befallen the two dwarves, elf, and that certain young lady whom she hated. She especially wanted Sigrid to get sick again and die or experience some great tragedy so she would not return; such an event would make Esmerelda's plan much easier! AS for Kili and Tauriel, she couldn't care less about them one way or the other as long as they did not prevent her from gaining control of Erebor. But her only interest was Fili. He was her only chance at becoming the dark ruler she always dreamed of being, a way to get inside that mountain and overthrow King Dain.

Back in Dale, the dark schoolteacher hoped deviously that ill had befallen the two dwarves, elf, and that certain young lady whom she hated. She especially wanted Sigrid to fall ill and die or experience some great tragedy so she would not return; such an event would make Esmerelda's plan much easier! She really did not care whether Kili and Tauriel survived or not. Her only interest was Fili. He was her only chance at becoming the dark ruler she always dreamed of being, a way to get inside that mountain and overthrow King Dain.

Suddenly, a spiderling from Mirkwood wandered its way across Esmerelda's window. An evil grin popped up on her face as a plot formed in her mind, and she eagerly let the creature inside, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.


	11. Chapter 11

_**I apologize for the long wait! My beta reader has been way busy, so if you see any mistakes/inconsistencies, please PM me &amp; let me know!**_

_**&amp; thank you for your comments! These characters haven't spoken to me as well as some others, so perhaps that is why my dialogue could be improved. If you have suggestions for that, I'd love to hear them! That's yet another thing I need to work on.**_

**11\. The Other Side of the Mountains**

Meanwhile, the quartet successfully crossed the Misty Mountains. This time, however, instead of staying with Beorn, Radagast the Brown greeted them and invited them to his small home. They gladly accepted.

Sigrid had to withhold her feelings about the place; it was rather unkempt and she was not exactly sure of the safest place to step or sit; so many animals and birds everywhere! Not that she did not like the creatures, but rather was unused to them being in abundance and in the house. Bard had never allowed her family to have pets; not only could they not afford the upkeep, it also reminded him to much of his dear departed wife. She loved all creatures, great and small, and having one in the house would be much too painful. Sigrid understood, but unlike her father she wanted to keep happy memories of her mother. So she decided to talk to Fili about it.

"Fili, darling, what do you think about pets?"

"You know me. I love animals and if you want one I would love to have any kind!"

"Really? So we can have a cat and a dog?"

"Sure! As many as you want! Within reason, of course," he replied with a wink, then kissed her gently and embraced her.

At that moment, Radagast popped in from checking on the forest. Undeterred by their display of affection, he updated them on his whereabouts.  
"Everything is just fine! I'm quite thankful for what everyone did to stay the orcs and other evil creatures. The spiders have migrated back to whatever hole they came from!"

The couple was slightly embarrassed but had already learned to take the strange wizard with stride. "That's good!" Fili answered, a bit unsure of what to say.

Sigrid walked over to the hedgehog Sebastian and picked him up. "That means this little sweetheart doesn't have to worry about going outside anymore!" Radagast had told them about the spider incident, which had timid Sigrid a bit concerned. However, everyone assured her she was well protected and they would not allow the giant spiders to harm her; after all, they had made it through Mirkwood the first time quite safely, thus no reason existed for them to not have the same luck befall them yet again.

Little did they know about Esmerelda's plan: she wanted to send her trained spider to bite Sigrid, carry her away, and eat her in the depths of the forest. Thus she would disappear forever and Fili would be the schoolteacher's man!

However, the company had no reason to worry right now. Radagast and his animal friends ensured their safety within his territory, and soon they would pass into Mirkwood, a place where Esmerelda would not dare show her lovely face for her great dread of the Elvenking.

Although Tauriel was sad to see how dark her beloved Mirkwood had become over the past few centuries, she could tell the evil was slowly leaving it. She was so excited to be back in her territory! Some of this mirth passed on to Kili, who was growing more worried about his wife each day. She kept on assuring him she was fine, and he tried to recall Elrond's words. The elf still had about four more months to go and thus they expected to get back to Erebor long before the baby came.

One night in the forest, the married couple snuck away from their sleeping companions for some private time together, something they rarely got but enjoyed immensely.

Kili caressed his wife and gently laid his hand on her extended belly. "Meleth" – he had taken up the elvish expression of affection – "our child is growing!" As if to answer, their unborn son kicked his father, and his parents laughed quietly.

"Yes, that he is. I feel he is an active and healthy baby. He will bring such joy into our lives!"

"Yes, considering how much we are enjoying him already! Just think of what it will be like when we finally meet him!"

They shared an intimate kiss and headed back to the camp, where Fili and Sigrid were none the wiser about this rendezvous, still fast asleep by the fire.

Several days later, the party arrived in at the Mirkwood palace once again. Tauriel was a bit worried about Legolas; she remembered how upset he was when they left and thought things would be more awkward now that she was pregnant with Kili's child. However, she failed to realize that he had left a few short days after her own departure and was now either with the Dúnedain or still searching for them.

Thranduil was certainly happy to see them. "Welcome to Mirkwood again, my friends! I trust your journey went well and you found whom you were seeking?"

"Yes, Fili and I found our mother in the Blue Mountains, your Majesty. Unfortunately, she passed away a few days after we arrived." This time Kili was the one to reply.

"I am so sorry, Fili and Kili. I too have lost my mother; she died bravely fighting beside my father, a long time ago in the War of the Last Alliance." Thus a new connection was made between elf and dwarf, who become friendlier with each passing day.

"How is Legolas?" Tauriel inquired; she still cared about her old friend and it grieved her to know how upset he had been when they departed.

"Shall we talk in private, or do you wish everyone else to hear?" the Elvenking was sensitive to his former guard's needs.

"Whatever you would like to say to me you can say to my friends, King Thranduil."

"Tauriel, you are well aware that Legolas fancied himself to be in love with you. I am afraid he has taken your marriage quite hard. In fact, even before I learned of your desire to marry Kili I advised him to take some time away from here; as far as I know he has joined the Rangers as I suggested. I think it will mature him and help to cure his wanderlust, and hopefully help him forget his broken heart to some extent, although you know I fully realize it will never completely heal. My own heart is heavy over the loss of my own dear wife, as you recall; I shall never forget her but have learned to cherish the happy memories we made together. And congratulations; I am glad Legolas is not here to see your condition; it would only serve to make matters worse. My heart hurts for him, yet he must figure this out for himself."

"Thank you! Both of us are so excited. I truly am sorry about Legolas; I wish there was something I could do. I feel so bad that I could not grant him what he wanted."

"Tauriel, my dear, that is quite kind of you, but I am afraid he will have to mature and realize one cannot always get his desires before he can truly heal. I do want you and Kili to know I do not blame you and wish your marriage and parenthood the best. My son truly does need to mature, and I am glad you realized this before you even thought about marrying him. The two of you would not be happy together as I see you and Kili are. I know your love is true and lasting, just like it was with my wife and I."

All four agreed with the wise Elvenking. He actually invited them to stay a few days, but they insisted one night was enough and the next day made their way back towards Dale.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Once again I apologize for the long waits between chapters!**_

_**Sofasoap- Thank you for your kind compliments on Thranduil! I know he appreciates it.**_

_**Which leads me to an author's note about my fave character! Yay! Alright, it's no secret that I'm rather partial to the Elvenking. In fact, this is one of my fave stories with him (even if I do say so myself &amp; he's only a minor character :( But nonetheless important!). I think he's always been very wise and kind, but losing so many of his kith &amp; kin in the War of the Last Alliance gave him PTSD so he hid those qualities for a long time, at least as far as the films go. Not to mention losing his dear wife in a very tragic way. I really think after the Battle of the Five Armies he started to see the mistakes he'd made &amp; began working towards fixing them. I actually wish I could include him more!**_

**12\. Home at Last**

Several days later and Sigrid was back home! Now she and Fili could finally get married!

The town stared and exchanged excited shouts as the party returned. Soon three enthusiastic figures ran towards them, their dark hair flopping all over their heads. "Sigrid!" they all cried.

Bard, having the longest legs, reached her first and swooped her up in a giant hug, kissing the top of her head. "Sigrid! How are you?" He searched her face to assure himself she was fine. She had been away such a long time, which had taken some getting used to, but the family eventually learned to manage. She truly did more for them than he'd ever dreamed, and for the first time he fully realized how hard his wife's death had been on all of them, how it had forced Sigrid to grow up more than he ever knew.

"I'm fine, Da! I met so many new people and saw such different scenery!"

Just then, Bain and Tilda ran up and enveloped their older sister in a warm embrace. "We missed you! Did you see lots of elves? Did you meet the Elvenking?" Tilda rambled.

Sigrid laughed as she tried to answer everything and joined her family as they walked back home, her companions tagging along behind, wishing to give her a sweet time of reunion.

Bard slipped back and spoke with Fili. "You and Sigrid have grown close through your trip. I see the same look in your eyes as were in mine and my wife's when we first fell in love. You have my permission to marry Sigrid whenever you wish!" he smiled.

"Thank you, King Bard! I think she and I will both tell you sooner is better than later!"

Overhearing the conversation, she heartily agreed.

While the family got reacquainted, Fili, Kili, and Tauriel had decided to go up to the Lonely Mountain and let King Dain know they were back. Bard produced his late wife's wedding dress from somewhere, since it was the perfect time. "Sigrid, we found this while you were away. Why don't your try it on?"

Squealing with excitement, Sigrid gazed in awe at the beautiful, flowing dress. "That's for me?"

"Yes! Go on; see how it fits!"

Reverently taking it from his grasp, she walked to her room and returned in a few minutes. "What do you think?" she asked as she turned around slowly.

"You are as beautiful as your mother on the day I married her!" The threesome commented over Sigrid for some time before allowing her to take it off. Bard later told them he had actually married in Dale because his wife found the ruins rather attractive for some reason. After the wedding night they forgot about her dress; it had been tucked into some corner unaffected by Smaug's fire, thus remained safe. Tilda found it one day in helping to clean up some of the buildings and prepare them to be used once again.

In the days leading up to her wedding, Sigrid added a bit more trim on the wedding dress to make it more her own and to freshen its style. However, Fili's attire was another story. His bride, being quite handy with a needle and thread, fashioned a lovely suit for him within a couple of weeks. Now they were both ready for the ceremony, which would be small and simple; neither of them desired a huge event.

The day finally arrived three weeks after the travellers' return. A lovely wooden arbour bedecked in fresh flowers stood at the head of several rows of borrowed chairs in the field just outside of Dale's walls. As Fili stood near the wedding officiator just in front of the arch, awaiting his bride to walk down the aisle, his stomach flip-flopped and his brow sweated a bit. Kili shot him an amused grin from his front-row seat next to Tauriel, which he met with a glare that only served to make the younger brother almost lose himself in his merriment. At last, Sigrid appeared on Bard's arm, looking more beautiful than he'd ever seen her and washing away any doubts and nerves he'd experienced. She glided between the two rows of chairs on Bard's arm and finally came to his side, where he wanted her to be the rest of his life. His mind, extremely bedazzled, caused him to have trouble repeating the vows, which made Sigrid giggle.

After it was all over, the schoolteacher gave them her well-wishes. "I am so happy for you both! You make such a lovely couple!" she gushed.

Plastering a friendly smile on her face as she shook her former teacher's hand, Sigrid simply replied, "Thank you." Thankfully the line pressed the annoying woman forward and she couldn't say anything else.

Most people assumed the woman was genuine in her well-wishes, while in reality the entire wedding she had been planning the bride's demise. She had taken great pains to keep her new spider minion hidden and was afraid to enact her evil plot too soon, especially not in a public venue like this wedding.

A great opportunity arose when, after the ceremony, Fili and Sigrid snuck out for a moonlit walk. The schoolteacher had been watching them ever since they went home; the couple was using Bard's house for tonight, then would move to Erebor with Kili and Tauriel. Bard and the children stayed with someone else so the couple could have the privacy they craved.

The newlyweds paused and kissed each other every few moments as they slowly strolled their way to the outskirts of town. Meandering to a rock wall, Fili draped his cloak on a section and Sigrid promptly sat, her new husband instantly settled close by her side. Lost in their own world, the couple spooned by the light of the pale sliver moon as it peaked out from behind the cumulous clouds.

Dressed in a dark cloak, a lone figure silently followed her prey, pet spider eagerly trailing along beside her. She paused a moment and whispered to her minion, "Remember, bite the girl and carry her into Mirkwood. You are free to do whatever you wish after that. Just get rid of the girl!" Eager to taste human flesh, the arachnid almost humanly nodded to his mistress and soundlessly scurried towards the unsuspecting couple.

Lost in their own world of a beautiful kiss, Sigrid's lips stilled from pressing against Fili's. Then, he felt her being pulled from behind out of his arms. "Sigrid?" he asked, perplexed. However, he received no reply except the clacking of little feet against the stone wall. Muscles rippling, he struggled against the opposing force to retain his hold on his wife, but whatever-it-was pulled her away, becoming too strong for the dwarf. Since he had to do something, he yanked out a sword (he kept one handy even now, never knowing if danger lurked around the corner).

"Whoever or whatever you are, I demand you release my wife!" he yelled. The moon sank behind the clouds and the darkness proved a difficulty in locating the culprit, but he finally spotted a large figure dragging something along the rock wall. "Stop that!" He ran to the wall and hopped up beside the creature, which he quickly identified as a Mirkwood spider. His sword flashed in the moonlight as it came back out from behind a cloud. The tip stabbed down into the beast as Fili yelled furiously. It turned to face him, and he retaliated by poking its eyes, as he'd observed the elves do. The spider shrieked and rolled over, giving the dwarf a perfect opportunity to plunge his sword into its belly, killing it instantly as it let out a final shriek.

Fili leaped off the wall, his eyes scanning the area beside the ramshackle rock wall. He had abandoned his wife in order to rid the danger from their midst, and now he might have lost her for good. "Sigrid!" he called desperately, but she could not hear him; the spider venom had rendered her unconscious and she lay a cold trance on the ground near the wall where she had fallen in the skirmish, unable to respond. Fili felt around as the moon hid from him yet again and finally laid hold of some fabric, a part of Sigrid's dress. He pulled her into his arms.

"Sigrid, my sweetheart! Speak to me!" However, he did not even receive a moan in response. He carefully ran with his limp bride to find Tauriel (they had agreed to stay the night in Dale, although no one was ever sure exactly why); surely his elven sister-in-law would know what to do!

Not being used to the town yet, especially not in the dark, the precious minutes built up like debris in a creek after a huge storm. Finally, he knocked at Kili and Tauriel's door. "Tauriel! I need your help!"

The elf ran to the door and opened it, simultaneously tying her house robe on.

"Fili! What is wrong?" she inquired, extremely worried when she noticed Sigrid laying limply in his arms.

"A spider bit my Sigrid! Please, can you help her?"

"Yes, I think so. Bring her in and lay her down. Then, if you are up to it I need you to find some chocolate mint. Or I can send Kili to find it. " Her husband had also come, hearing all the commotion.

Fili shot his brother a worried look.

"I will find the plant, Fili. You stay here with your bride." With that, Kili took his leave with a lantern to find the healing plant.

Tauriel gently searched for the spider bite as the dwarf related the terrible event. "Fili, spiders tend to bite simply to stun their prey for a while. You may remember your escapade in Mirkwood when they captured you? I think this one did the same thing to Sigrid, so she should awaken after several hours. The mint will quicken her recovery, though." The elf finally located the puncture marks, which confirmed her suspicions, much to her relief. "The wound does not look too bad and should heal nicely once I can get that chocolate mint on it."

Fili was still worried but now a bit more relieved. "Thank you, Tauriel."

She gently smiled. "You are welcome! I am sorry your wedding night turned out like this. The spiders generally contain themselves to the forest, and I would like to know why this one was here. Come daylight, Kili and I will inquire about any sightings to see if we can figure this out. We cannot have people getting bitten like this. And with my child on the way, I do not want to worry about that!"

At that moment, Kili popped back in with the useful flora. "Here you are, Meleth. Will Sigrid be alright?"

"Yes, thank you. I think she will be fine in a few hours. The chocolate mint will help in any case." The elf tore up the leaves and mashed them into a thick paste, then applied it to the wound. "There! Now we must simply wait."

Fili motioned to the couple. "You two go back to bed. I shall stay up with my wife." He hated to waken the them, especially with Tauriel being pregnant, but it was the only thing he knew to do.

"Thank you! Let me know if anything changes or if she wakes up." Tauriel and Kili went back to their room, grateful to be able to rest again. The elf noticed she'd started to tire more easily here in the last couple of months of her pregnancy and thus didn't even protest the extra sleep as she would have normally done.

The groom took his place beside his wife, who lay on a couch. As she rested, he held Sigrid's hand, afraid to let go. He drowsed off and on throughout the night, checking her wound off and on to apply more of the mint. When the sunlight finally made its way into the home, the bride aroused with a moan. Fili shot up from his drowsing. "Sigrid? Are you awake?" he asked.

Slowly her eyes blinked open. The daylight hurt and she squinted. "Fili? What happened?"

"A spider bit you! Tauriel said you should be fine; it only stunned you so it could carry you way. There was no poison in your bite. However, you will likely be a bit sore for a few days. I know I was when those spiders captured my group."

"Well, no wonder I feel horrible! What a way to spend our wedding night! I am so sorry!" She started to cry, but her new husband laid his hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"Sweetheart, we have a whole lifetime to spend together. It is not your fault that a spider bit you. No one knew that would happen and it could not be helped. Now you must not worry about it! I need to get Tauriel so she can examine you again; perhaps her reassurances will help too." He halfway spoke to himself as a reminder that everything really would be okay. They would find out why the spider was there, and if he could find the person behind the crime he would kill him himself!

The elf pronounced Sigrid well enough to be moved, and Fili carried her back to Bard's house. They found her family and told them of the event, and her father also vowed to find and kill whoever was behind all that orc mischief, as Treebeard would say.

O_O

From the safety of the shadows made by the buildings, Esmerelda eavesdropped on the family as they assessed the damage. She rubbed her hands together and had a hard time restraining herself from jumping up and down in glee. She had kept watch on the events, noticing Fili's furious trip to find that evil elf-woman. However, the next day brought disappointment as she viewed the very-much-alive Sigrid being helped to Bard's house. In fact, she looked rather healthy overall, even if a bit pale and weak. She bit back a scream of rage. Her plan had failed!

What other way could she get rid of this girl? Her spider plan obviously held many flaws; now her precious pet was dead, and she had not taken into account the fact that Fili was a warrior. Perhaps if she could get Sigrid into her house alone, a new idea just might work!

_**Author's Note: (yes, another!) It was recommended that I not use athelas so much. After all, there are plenty of other healing plants. But no, of course I had to just make up that chocolate mint is the treatment for spider bites.**_

_**And please review!**_


	13. Chapter 13

**13\. Discovery &amp; Recovery**

Sigrid recovered in a few days from her spider bite. When she felt better, Fili took her out to camp under the stars for their honeymoon. They enjoyed themselves immensely and stayed out several days. Then Sigrid remembered something quite important. The newlyweds had laid a blanket on the grass and lay together stargazing, as twilight had gone several hours beforehand. So the bride suddenly sat up and exclaimed, "Fili! We are such dunces!"

"What?" the dwarf sounded confused at this sudden outburst, although not entirely surprised.

"Do you recall how you told me about your meeting with my old school mistress, Esmerelda?"

"Yes…" more bewilderment followed.

"You told me Tauriel had a bad feeling about her but attributed it to nerves about getting married. What if she really did feel something was not right with this woman?"

"Hhmm," he pondered, "That is an interesting thought. Perhaps she knows about my being a son of Durin, an heir to the throne of Erebor?"

"I think that is rather possible; after all, you uncle Thorin did not keep it a secret that he was to be king, and people need only ask around and see you three together to figure out you are related. But perhaps she does not realize you and Kili have totally renounced the throne."

"Oh dear, perhaps both of us are in danger, Kili and I, that is."

"Sweetheart," she laid her hand on his arm, "I fear you and I are in the most danger. Tauriel is a Mirkwood elf, and all men and women fear King Thranduil; he rather has a reputation in these parts and no one wants to get on his bad side. Esmerelda would not be foolish enough to try anything with Tauriel, so that likely means she must get me out of the way so she can seduce you!"

"No! Why, I would go and beat that woman sense right now! She will never harm you as long as I am around!" Fili's anger grew once again, quite forgetting that he had been with Sigrid during the spider attack and had not been able to stop it.

Sigrid pushed him back down. "You, sir, are not going anywhere! Acting in the heat of the moment never solves anything. We must discuss this with Kili, Tauriel, and my father and come up with a plan of action."

The dwarf sighed, knowing his sweet and gentle wife was right. "Alright, after one more night alone! Let us not think of it anymore for tonight!" He playfully winked at her and stole a kiss, which she returned. There would be no more discussion that night!

They returned to their tent, and Sigrid tossed and turned on her pallet, accidentally throwing her pillow into Fili's face. He's already fallen asleep, so he awoke with a start. "Hey! What was that for?"

She giggled at his grumpiness and hit him again, this time on purpose. He growled playfully and told her, "This means war!" He proceeded to playfully hit her with his own pillow. Soon they fought with passion and somehow ended up outside their tent, and Sigrid promptly ran away into the field, Fili hot on her heels.

Once he caught up to her, she hit him with her pillow and he got in one more shot. Then, he playfully growled again and scooped her up, a wild look in his eyes. Both laughed hysterically and he plopped her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and took her back to the tent, where they passionately kissed.

Sigrid was so happy to know her husband had a playful side and knew their days would be full of happiness.

O.O

As soon as the couple returned from their honeymoon, they informed Bard, Kili, and Tauriel about their hypothesis. Tauriel spoke first. "I knew that woman had something up her sleeve! And Sigrid, I do believe you are right that she will not harm Kili or me due to our Elvenking. However, you and Fili must be especially careful, especially you."

Sigrid, eyes wide with fear, huddled close to her new husband. "Yes, she has already tried to kill me once; who knows what she will do next? And what about the rest of my family? Do you think she would want to rule both Erebor and Dale?"

Everyone was shocked at this revelation, but it made perfect sense. Bard looked seriously at his daughter, "Sigrid, all four of us must be careful. I would like you to stay with Bain and Tilda, if Fili does not mind, until we are sure everyone is safe. I believe the best plan would be to confront Esmerelda and question her; after all, we are not positive she is the one behind the attack. We cannot make hasty conclusions without gaining all the evidence." His proclamation was met with several hearty "Amens".

Thus Tauriel, Kili, Fili, and Bard planned to go the next day, leaving Sigrid behind with Bain and Tilda for her own safety. She did not like that but went along with it, knowing everyone would worry about her if she went with them.

The next day, Fili and Sigrid shared a long kiss goodbye. "I love you, Fili! Be careful."

"I will!" And with that they were off.

Esmerelda opened her door and feigned surprise; she expected this day to come, although not quite so soon. "What are you all doing here?" she inquired pleasantly, even though everyone knew she faked it.

Fili got right to the point; he refused to take any nonsense. In fact, he was quite enraged to even think that she might be the evil mastermind behind his beloved wife's near-death experience. He eyes flecked with red as he confronted her. "Look, Esmerelda, we all know you have been trying to kill my wife Sigrid. She has never done anything to you! Why did you do it?"

The schoolteacher appeared surprised. "What are you talking about? I have never laid a hand on your wife."

"Ah, maybe not a hand but you sent that spider after her! Luckily we had Tauriel and it was not the venomous kind of bite."

Inwardly seething, she answered calmly, "And so what if I did? It is obvious she came to no harm."

Anger spread throughout the group. Then Bard spoke up. "My daughter does not deserve this! She has always liked you and been kind to you, and up until now thought the feelings were mutual. I know you are using her to try to get to the throne of Erebor, so don't try to hide it."

"Hmph! Alright, I do admit I am anxious to sit on the throne of Erebor. Empress Esmerelda of Erebor has a rather nice ring to it, don't you think? From now on, I will openly declare I will sit on that throne and I will fight whoever gets in my way." Her resolve was firm, which was a bit frightening.

"Fine." Bard refused to kowtow to the woman. "If you want war, so be it. However, I warn you that I have a lot more people on my side than you do yours, even if you are in league with those foul spiders."

Kili wanted to be the peacemaker. "Please, is there not a way we can resolve this conflict without fighting? I will give you my share of the riches of Erebor if only you will leave Sigrid alone."

Fili seconded the motion with a hearty, "Amen!"

"No!" the schoolteacher bellowed. "I want it all! The riches, the fame, the laud and honour, for people to bow down and call me their queen. And since you, Bard, refused my advances, I shall wreak havoc on your entire family. I wish to destroy you all. Then I shall be Queen of both Dale and Erebor!"

Bard took the dwarves aside. "She will not listen to reason. Our only choice is to show her that everyone will protect Sigrid, and we shall not allow this vile woman to do anything to her or take over the Lonely Mountain. If war is what she wants, war is what she will get. Although I daresay it will be too much for her."

With that the four walked away, leaving Esmerelda steaming mad.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Author's Note: I seriously appreciate reviews, including but not limited to constructive criticism! I see people are reading this, or at least clicking on it...Please let me know what you think!**_

**14\. Face-Off**

Once her wrath cooled to a manageable level, Esmerelda headed into Mirkwood with a wicked grin on her face and a sassy swing to her step. The foul siblings of her late pet would gather to her once they learned of his demise. The creatures were a force to be reckoned with. No one knew how she could communicate with them, nor did they wish to find out, as they feared she participated in black magic. Whether she did this or not was a great mystery, forever unsolved. Either way, her army of spiders consisted of about a hundred large specimens that willingly trailed behind their newfound mistress, eager to do her evil bidding. The spiders awaited nearby her house, ready to do battle come morning.

Whatever her methods, her thoughts towards the blonde dwarf changed as she lay awake that night. Just who did Fili think he was, yelling at her like that? Soon enough he would be bowing before her – that is, if he didn't get killed beforehand. Come to think of it, she didn't even need him. In fact, she hated him! All she ever wanted him for was to give her a free passage into the Lonely Mountain. Stupid dwarf! He would have been better off if he had died from his wounds in the Battle of the Five Armies.

In the intervening time, Bard rallied a small army against the schoolteacher. He only held a slight concern because he did not know if she would get the spiders to help her or not. Yet he maintained utmost confidence in all his men and knew the dwarves in Erebor would help if need be, although he doubted it would become necessary.

Tauriel, being the only one with true arachnid-fighting experience, gave the soldiers tips on battling with the beasts that afternoon. "Go for the eyes, and if you get a clear jab at the underbelly that is the best place to put the killing blow; it helps when they cannot see as well." She set them to practicing on hay bales with spots painted on them to simulate the eyes; rough going, but it at least gave them a slight feel for what they were up against. She would not participate, even though she wanted to go, because she was too far along in her pregnancy for either her or Kili to feel comfortable with her risking her life like that. The only way she could fight this war is if absolutely necessary as the last resort.

O.O

Finally, the day of battle came. Esmerelda stood regally at the edge of town, dressed in a rather revealing robe of a deep purple colour with gold trim, which set off her raven locks and emerald eyes. The spiders stood behind her in half-circle formation, eagerly awaiting her command to attack. They rubbed their foremost legs together and licked their black chops. Their back legs were bent, ready to charge at a moment's notice. From time to time they would rub their fangs with a thin leg and squirt a bit of venom out at their feet, ensuring they were ready to inflict a fatal bite. There would be no simple stunning of their prey for a few hours today! It would be instantaneous death as their poison travelled through their victims' blood and dissolved their insides into mush.

The men of Dale situated themselves just inside the walls, which had not yet been fully rebuilt, armed with mostly swords but also a few bows and arrows. The bowmen had been positioned to the front, instructed to let their arrows fly as soon as the arachnid army charged. Each man held onto his bow with his left hand, their right hands gripping their arrows and strings, all aimed at the large, eight-legged figures in the distance. The small measure of time their shots provided would help the swordsmen prepare for one-on-one battle. They all knew there was no way to prevent the spiders from infiltrating the city but would try their best to make sure as few as possible entered.

The women and children had been instructed to stay together inside the largest building with the doors and windows bolted tight. Tauriel helped them get weapons with which they could defend themselves in case of a breach in their miniature fortress, although she expected nothing like that to happen. She tried to assure everyone. "Do not worry, ladies and children. Our menfolk will defeat our foes and be safe; they all love you and will defend your lives bravely as they also strive to save their own. Yes, there is the possibility that some may not return, but do not let that worry you or cause you to do anything rash."

The sobs of many women sounded yet again, and Tauriel noticed many of the mothers holding their children close to their breasts. One older lady spoke up, tears streaming down her face. "What if they don't come back and the spiders come in here? My husband is too old to be fighting like that."

The elf walked over to her and placed a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "I trained our men to the best of my ability. King Bard selected the best warriors amongst us, and if your husband was counted with them that means our King trusts him and thinks highly of him. The spiders will likely not even make it this far into the city, and this building is strong. I do not see any need to worry about arachnid infiltrations. Why don't you try to rest?"

"Alright, Tauriel, but I still do not like this."

"War is not something to be liked." With that, Tauriel checked the windows once more; they had covered them because some ladies suffered from severe arachnophobia and would likely faint if they saw even a glimpse of the vile creatures, seeing as how they were several hundred times larger than the regular spiders.

On the battlefield, the menfolk gazed at their perilous foes and were slightly taken aback. Since the arachnids tended to stay in the darkest portions of Mirkwood and rarely ventured into the towns of men, most of the warriors had little if any experience with them. However, Tauriel's instruction helped them know what to expect and how to defeat their eight-legged foes. Despite this knowledge, they would still be a formidable foe, since they could crawl everywhere and jump down from the rooftops instead of staying in one place like the hay bales on which they had practiced, which meant everyone had to be extremely alert.

Esmerelda called out to Bard. "If you will hand over your daughter, I will call off my spiders and leave you all alone. You do not have to fight if you choose not to."

Fili pushed Bard aside, anger filling his voice, so much so that his father-in-law placed his hands on both his shoulders to hold him back while allowing him to answer. "Esmerelda, you will never, ever get to my wife! We refuse to hand her over to you for any reason. You could give yourself up to us and everything would work out, but I know such an evil being as you would never dream of such a thing. You are worse than the loath dragon Smaug, than my dear uncle Thorin when he suffered from the dragon sickness –" Bard squeezed his shoulders harder and he abruptly quit speaking.

"Ha, I shall never bow down to you! War it is!" With a maniacal laugh, she signalled her arachnid hoard to attack, and their long, spindly legs carried them forward quickly. The archers fired, killing some spiders instantly while wounding others, which only served to anger them as they crept closer to Dale. Before the men knew it, their foes were upon them. Now at close range, they stabbed and killed left and right. Despite there being several hundred seasoned warriors and less than a hundred arachnids, the size difference made the armies about equal and it tended to take at least two men to kill just one spider.

The battle went on for a couple of hours, then the men of Dale triumphed. The last spider was killed and the only one in the army left was Esmerelda herself; she had stayed in the background for most of time time, letting her minions do all the hard work and only sparring with some men on occasion in order to distract them.

Then Bard confronted her face to face, his mouth set in a grim line and his eyes hard and cold. "Well, Esmerelda, what do you say now?"

She stood glaring at him for a minute, then replied. "I still want to be queen!" With that, she stabbed at him with a short sword, which he easily avoided and quickly flicked out of her hand with his own sword. Her eyes widened looked into his, then she stared down at her now-empty hands. She realized she was defeated; up until this point, she had fancied herself invincible and fully believed all her dreams would soon become reality. What a rude awakening!

"Alright, Bard, you win." She held her hands out towards him in submission, which he promptly grabbed and tied behind her back. A makeshift prison consisted of a ramshackle cabin, one of the few buildings to survive the town's destruction a couple of hundred years before. Slightly burnt but still usable, it proved a good location for the now ex-schoolteacher until Bard decided her fate.

Since Esmerelda was a woman, the King of Dale held some reluctance in executing her. Thus he summoned the Elvenking Thranduil of Mirkwood and King Dain of Erebor for their council.

A few days later, they met in Dale. "My dear friends," Bard started, "I have asked you here today to help me decide the fate of my lone prisoner." He explained all that had happened.

Thranduil replied first, his elfly wisdom showing. "Bard, you do have a tough decision here. My suggestion is to first see if she will truly repent of her ways and then give her a second chance. I wish in my time as king I had done this more often, but until lately I have been a bit hot-headed at times. King Dain, what is your opinion?"

The dwarf lord felt differently on the matter. "I believe she should pay for her crimes by either execution or a life of doing some lowly and disgusting task, such as a swineherd. Although I agree that second chances are good, from what Bard has told us it sounds as though she will never repent of her evil ways. Thus the death penalty seems the best option to me."

The threesome discussed the matter for a few more hours, the older kings giving Bard much insight as to how to deal with lawbreakers. Then Bard excused himself to talk to Esmerelda and see if she would repent.

He strode to the penitentiary, a thoughtful and compassionate look on his face. Then he called out to his prisoner. "Esmerelda, despite your threats against my family, I always liked you as a teacher and all three of my children admired you. You were not always the woman you are now. Do you not think you could change your ways? I will gladly give you a second chance."

"Bard, you know I have always liked you as well, perhaps loved you at some point. However, I have gone too far to turn back now. I have to admit I am not at all sorry for what I have done and my only regret is that it failed to work." Bard heard the clink of chains as she made her way to the barred window and peered out at him. Fury and defeat blazed within her now-cold emerald eyes.

"Fine, Esmerelda. If that is what you want, I have no choice but to have you executed. You shall be beheaded at dawn tomorrow." As much as he hated to pronounce the fate, he knew he had no other choice. This is why he never wanted to be king. He despised having another person's life in his hands to do with what he wished. Heavy-hearted, he returned to Thranduil and Dain, telling them his final decision, of which both approved.

However, the next day when a man was sent to perform the deed, he found the doors of the makeshift prison jimmied open, their captive gone and nowhere to be seen. He quickly made his way to Bard. "King Bard! Esmerelda has escaped!"

"What?" Bard stood still a moment with his mouth open, and the man ended up repeating what he'd just said. Once he came to his senses he demanded action. "Quickly, sound the alarm and gather all our able-bodied men! We must find her before she tries to murder anyone else!"

The man obeyed the orders, and within ten minutes search parties of about five men apiece went in every direction. The search went on for several hours but not even a trace of the would-be queen was ever found. Fili headed one group and insisted they keep looking until dark, which they did. However, not even the best trackers could find so much as half a footprint or a scrap of cloth. Only her hands hand been shackled and they surmised she had run and found refuge within the vast forest of Mirkwood. Despair caused the men's faces to fall as they returned home to their loved ones, defeated.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Author's Note: Please read &amp; review! I truly do appreciate it! &amp; this chapter could very well be OOC &amp; way too fluffy...  
**_

_**Dear Guest, thank you for reviewing! Unfortunately, all I can give you is an evil grin at this point &amp; time... :D**_

**15\. Happy families**

Dale and Erebor were thankfully quiet after the horrible events of the battle and escape of Esmerelda. However, tension reigned within their walls. Everyone stayed vigilant all the next week, constantly looking over their shoulders and into dark corners, ever watchful for their evil ex-schoolteacher. Bard posted several guards on each side of the city, and Dain kept a few scouts in the highest portions of the Lonely Mountain to keep a lookout as well. The townspeople half-expected another attack at any moment, not knowing how many spiders were left in Mirkwood or if the woman was in league with the dread orcs and wargs. However, that day did not come. Thus the people once again settled into their daily routines after a couple of weeks. Kili and Tauriel permanently dwelled in the Lonely Mountain, while Fili and Sigrid agreed to help King Dain set his kingdom to rights and then move into Dale. The couples would be close enough to visit each other often; after all, the brothers had never lived apart before and not being together posed as a strange and challenging change in their lives. Despite their proximal separation, they remained close to each other always, much to the happiness of their wives and families.

A couple of months after Esmerelda's disappearance, Tauriel and Kili had their first child. As soon as the midwives gave their permission, Kili rushed into the room then slowed as he sensed the womens' disapproving stares. The elf lay on their bed, covered in sweat with her hair pasted to her head and extremely tired, but her face glowed with joy. "Kili, Meleth, this is our son!" She presented the baby to her beloved as he approached slowly and reverently. He carefully cradled the tiny creature in his arms and gazed into the red and wrinkled face. "He's beautiful, my Meleth. Could we name him Thorin, after my uncle?"

"Yes! And perhaps we could call him Renni, as a nickname? Things might get confusing with Dain's son Thorin III, at least once our son gets older," she smiled. Their son would be the fourth dwarf to bear that name, although he was the first to be named after Thorin Oakenshield.

"I like that idea. When he is old enough to understand, we shall tell him the story of his namesake. I do not wish to hide anything from our son. He needs to know about Smaug, and dragon sickness, and how bravely my uncle fought and died."  
"Yes!" Tauriel kissed her husband. Contentedly lying back on the bed, soon she and their wee son were asleep, tired after the long ordeal of labour and birth.

Renni would learn from an early age that selfishness and greed hurt not only the one experiencing these tendencies but also those around him/her. Even though Kili taught him all about weaponry and fighting, he also learned that serving others comes first and when possible to unite and help the other free peoples of elves and men. In fact, such interaction became natural to him, since they visited Dale frequently and thus saw humans and many times elves as well.

_-Four years later-_

A second child was born to Tauriel and Kili, a daughter whom they named Dís. Kili went in to see his wife and daughter first; Renni was instructed to come in a few minutes later. "Tauriel," the dwarf breathed before he kissed his wife. "She's as beautiful as you are!" He took the little bundle from her arms and examined his daughter, declaring her perfect. Then Renni burst into the room. "Renni, I told you to come quietly!" Kili scolded.

"I'm sorry, Papa." The youngster's face fell, then brightened as he took a good look at his sister. "She's so tiny! Can I hold her?"

"May I hold her," Tauriel softly corrected.

"But Mama, I want a turn!" The parents laughed at their son, and Kili pointed Renni to sit on the edge of the bed. "Dís can't hold her head up yet like you can, so you have to support it with your hand." He gently placed the baby in the boy's arms, and siblings gazed at each other in wonderment. Renni loved his younger sister and helped care for her as much as a four-year-old can. She definitely bore Tauriel's looks, although it was obvious who her father was as well.

At the same time as Dís's birth, Fili and Sigrid also had their first child. Seven months before, Sigrid had taken Fili to the same place they honeymooned for a nice picnic. They laid the blanket on the grass and ate their simple meal, glad to be away from the hustle and bustle of city life. When they finished, Fili lay down with his head in Sigrid's lap and she stroked his lovely golden hair, both very contented. Then she spoke, "Fili, I am so happy!"

"Yes, sweetheart! I am too!" He had no idea what she was talking about, but he really was joyous; any time he got to spend with his wife alone always cheered him.

"Fili, I love you so much! And now we have someone else to love!"

Now the dwarf's mind whirled with confusion. "Sigrid, whatever are you talking about?"

"We have a child on the way!"

Fili quickly sat up and looked at his wife, afraid she was joking. He stared at her in disbelief until she laughed. "Fili, I'm serious! I am pregnant!"

After he got over the initial shock, they shared a sweet kiss. "How long will it take?" Dwarf and human gestation periods differ slightly, so this posed as a legitimate question. Thankfully Sigrid was able to explain everything and told him it would be about seven more months.

Her guess was spot on; exactly seven months later, their daughter Laurinquë came into the world. She resembled Sigrid, much to Fili's delight. What made things even more exciting was when they found out Tauriel bore her daughter Dís only two days before. Thus the cousins grew together and became best friends. Neither Tauriel nor Sigrid had ever had a special female friend like that and were grateful their daughters had the chance at such a lovely friendship.

Meanwhile, Esmerelda spent five long years wandering in the wilderness, planning and plotting constantly. She'd worked days pounding a rock against her manacles and at last broke the chain. It took her several weeks to find the right objects to completely free herself from the metal bonds. The wargs befriended her and were able to bring her some goblin tools with which she finally completely loosened herself from the heavy manacles.

Her beauty dwindled from too much time in the sun and many sleepless nights. What was once a smooth, delicate complexion turned into a leathered hide, thick and tan. Wrinkles formed in her brow from too much frowning and her lips bore a soured and puckered look. Her dragon sickness kept her awake for many long nights as she dreamed about becoming Empress Esmerelda of Erebor. She could imagine sleeping while being surrounded by enormous piles of precious gems and metals, as though she really were one of the great and powerful fireworms that she'd always greatly feared and admired. Consequently, her emerald eyes flecked with red from anger, insanity, and lack of sleep, making them flash as though a dragon's flames dwelled within them, anxious to escape their bonds and wreak havoc on everyone. She was determined to get her revenge on the people of Dale, no matter the cost.

Three years later, the dwarves' wives became pregnant near the same time again. The womenfolk shared a unique bond during their pregnancies and would often be seen together in either Erebor or Dale. One day, when they were only a couple of months away from their due dates, they walked together in Dale. Sigrid's sister Tilda had agreed to babysit their children for a few hours, always a welcome relief. Bard's youngest daughter enjoyed it as much as the mothers did. Tilda, as the baby in her family, never had much experience with younger children and discovered she loved them –that is, after Tauriel and Sigrid showed her how to care for them. The two ladies worried little about her babysitting abilities and could fellowship with each other quite well in such times.

"Sigrid, I feel like I am waddling all over these days instead of walking like a normal person!" Tauriel giggled good-naturedly.

The human shared in the mirth. "I feel the same way! This child is much bigger than the last; actually, I am not sure if Fili told you but we are fairly certain we have twins!"

To prove her point, the babies inside her kicked either side of her distended belly.

"That's wonderful! Kili and I have only one."

At that moment, the dwarves came to make sure their wives fared well. "Sigrid, Tauriel, do you need anything?" Kili inquired, and Fili nodded his head in agreement, both faithful husbands.

"No, I think we are fine for now," Tauriel answered.

"Fili, I would like a glass of fresh milk if you do not mind." Sigrid hated to put her husband out to do things for her, but she was able to do less each day because her belly got in the way, not to mention she tired more easily. Her man understood and tried his best to do all he could for her comfort; he actually wished she would let him do more and was pleased to get the milk.

"Certainly, my dear! From a cow or a goat?"

"Goat is my favourite today. Thank you!" She gently kissed his cheek, and he blushed. Fili thought he would never get used to public displays of affection, but enjoyed every moment of it anyway. So he hurried off and soon returned, glass of fresh goat milk in hand.

"Here you are, my dear!"

Tauriel and Kili took their leave at this moment, knowing the couple wanted their time alone as much as they did. The pairs discovered that having a child changed everything, yet they wouldn't have traded their children for anything in the world. Rather, their sons and daughters made life even more worthwhile and precious as the new lives promised the endurance of their peoples.

Fili guided his wife to a bench and they sat. "Thank you, sweetheart! I love you!" This time her lips brushed his, and he responded eagerly. "Here, put your hand right here." Sigrid moved his right hand to her left side, where one of their babies actively kicked. The dwarf always liked to feel his children, and the couple shared a sweet private moment. No one paid them any mind because they were all too busy hurrying about from place to place, each lost in their own world.

Two months later, Tauriel and Kili had another son whom they christened Thrain after Thorin's father (who would have been the grandfather of their children). He even took after this dwarf in looks, although his hair was red like his mother's rather than black.

Sigrid and Fili had twin sons named Thror and Girion after the former rulers of the Lonely Mountain and Dale, respectively. The twins were the spit and image of their father, sporting his lovely golden locks. These three boys also became a trio of best friends, although all the siblings and cousins were close to each other.

Three children were enough for Sigrid and Fili, and they did not have any more. However, they did adopt two pet cats and two pet dogs; the twins claimed the canines, while Sigrid and Laurinquë each had a cat. Fili jokingly insisted they all belonged to him. Late at night, while the children slept, the couple could sometimes be seen sitting next to each other, a cat in each of their laps and the dogs on the floor beside their masters. Fili and Sigrid enjoyed simply holding hands and sitting in companionable silence, their love for each other growing stronger daily.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Note: Reviews are very appreciated! Yes, Esmerelda is one persistent creature. Is it too much?**_

**16\. Whatever Happened to Esmerelda?**

Esmerelda spent about eight years, in total, wandering in the wilderness. Her once lovely features gave way to a tanned and wrinkled face, old and unappealing before her time. In fact, she was so much changed that one would have to look extremely closely to figure out she was the former schoolteacher who had disappeared. The evil she had planned so long had caught up with her body since she had neither elven blood nor any magic with which to help preserve her youth. Her mind had snapped some years back. Her thoughts were always on the Lonely Mountain and killing everyone who got in her way, especially those nasty dwarf brothers and King Dain. However, every method she thought of was met with an equally vile thought of how it could backfire on her and destroy her chances of infiltrating the stronghold. Her past failures haunted her and caused her to distrust everyone, herself most of all. She could not fail again! Many times she would sit back in her refuge, squatting down on the floor with her arms around her legs, rocking back and forth as she mumbled about her plans.

The special shoes of which she took such good care in the past had worn out and now she walked barefoot, her limp pronounced due to the differing length of her legs. Her feet were hardened, calloused, and rough, as was her once sweet voice, which now reminded one of a crow with the croup. Over all, she looked and sounded like a haggard old woman about to keel over in death at any given moment.

Laurinquë, now four years old, was a happy child. Full of curiosity, she constantly asked her mother what she was doing and tended to get in the way by "helping." Sigrid tried to give her as much to do as possible, but with the twins it was hard to keep up with her. Needless to say, she was thankful Tilda had yet to marry and frequently visited to help out.

One day, as Sigrid and her boys napped, the little girl heard a knock at the door. She was supposed to be napping too but had a rebellious day, so Sigrid let her stay up and decided keep her awake the rest of the day in order to ensure that she would sleep well that night. Thus the knock provided something for the bored child to do. She opened the door quietly. "Shh," she put a finger to her lips, "Mommy is napping."

"Then why don't you step out here, dearie?" Voice dripping with honey, the seemingly old woman on the outside of the door replied.

Laurinquë cautiously exited the house, knowing full well she was not supposed to talk to strangers. "Who are you?"

"An old friend of your mother's. But come, I have a surprise for your family!"

"I loves su'prises!" The little girl jumped up and down in glee as the old woman pulled a basket out from behind her back. She slowly opened it to reveal some delicious-looking baked goods. The smell of fresh apple pie wafted into Laurinquë's nose, along with mincemeat and some type of nut – chestnut, in fact, Fili's favourite. "Yum!" She sighed contentedly and reached for the contents. But the woman held them up out of her reach.

"Now, now, dearie, this is a gift for your family. Once your mother wakes up, make sure she eats some of everything right away. These are especially for her, but I think she will let you have some too."

The tiny maiden's face fell. "Aw. But I want some now!"

"Please, promise me you will wait for your mother? I am sure she will wake up before you realize it."

"Alright," Laurinquë finally agreed, rather grumpily.

"Bye-bye, dearie! Remember, wait for your mother!" The old woman called as she disappeared into the village. Sigrid's eldest daughter took the basket inside and set it on the table. For some reason, she heeded the command to wait for her mother and busied herself playing with her dolls, pretending they were her little brothers. Besides, she wasn't allowed to use knives yet and would have experienced quite a bit of trouble trying to use a fork to slice herself a piece. Soon, Sigrid awoke from her nap.

"Laurinquë, sweetie, did anything happen while I was napping?" The girl shook her head, and her mother spotted the basket on the table. That certainly was not there before! "Where did this come from?"

"A lady came and gaved it to me. She said she was your friend and I had to wait for you to eat some. I want pie, Mommy!"

Sigrid cautiously opened the basket and saw the pies, inhaling their delicious aroma. "Did she tell you her name?"

"No."

"Have you seen her before?"

"No."

"Well, remember next time you are not supposed to talk to strangers. I shouldn't give you any pie, but I will anyway. However, I will have to speak with your father when he gets back and you will need to be punished for not following the rules."

"Yes, Mommy," she meekly replied as she watched her slice the pies.

Curious. Who would be giving her pies? Sigrid paid no more attention to the mysterious giver as she cut up the three pies, giving an apple slice to Laurinquë and a sliver of both mincemeat and chestnut to herself. Both immediately dug into their treats. After shovelling in a couple of bites, Laurinquë decided she wasn't hungry any longer and went off to play some more. Sigrid finished off her slices, thinking them quite satisfactory for that sweet tooth she'd had lately. However, about 30 minutes later, the little girl held her stomach. "I don't feel good, Mommy…" Her voice dwindled and she lay down on the floor, her face contorted with pain.

Alarmed, Sigrid crouched beside her daughter. As she looked down, her head spun and she felt herself fading away into darkness, not unlike what she'd experienced when the spider bit her, only more slowly this time around. Mother and daughter lay together in a small heap on the floor, oblivious to their surroundings.

Esmerelda, the "old" woman, had poisoned the three pies. She figured Fili would like chestnut the best, a right assumption, so she had laced it with the deadliest poison she knew: belladonna. Hoping he would devour several pieces and die a gruesome death for all the pain he'd put her through, she had laughed hysterically as she made the pies. Served him right for refusing her advances!

The apple pie contained datura, which left Laurinquë laying on the floor in a trance-like state. While it wasn't the deadliest poison, it had the potential to kill such a tiny person, which was not Esmerelda's main intent, although she did not care how many people died at her hands, so great was her desire to rid Middle Earth of the accursed dwarf and his nasty little family.

The mincemeat pie had been spiked with opium poppy. Sigrid collapsed on the floor and appeared dead, while she really was in a coma-like state from the combined poisons coursing through her veins.

Two hours later, Fili stepped in the door after a long day's work, expecting his customary hug and kiss. However, his eyes widened and his hand flew to his chest when he heard his twins' distressed cries and saw both Sigrid and Laurinquë lying on the floor. Rushing to his daughter, he placed a gentle hand on her chest and felt her heart faintly pumping. At least she wasn't dead yet. He quickly looked her over and discovered no blood, nor any outside injury. Shaking her, he tried to wake her up from her trance-like state. "Laurinquë, sweetie, wake up! What's wrong?" However, he received no reply. The way her eyes were still open, staring into space, caused a deep fear to stir within his heart. He left her where she was and turned to his beloved wife.

"Sigrid! Sweetheart, speak to me!" He crawled over to his wife and laid his head on her chest. He detected a heartbeat, faint but still there. Having no experience in such matters, his heart pumped rapidly as he pondered what could have happened. Was it some sort of sorcery from Mordor?

The babies' cries brought him out of his brooding. He quickly grabbed his twin sons and set out to find a healer, of which there were several in the village. It seemed like it took hours to get to the closest house when in reality it was only a brisk five minutes' walk away. He pounded on the door while juggling his children. "Please, I need a healer immediately!" He called out, sounding worried and forceful all at once.

The woman, named Hæfgimm, quickly appeared. "Fili, what's wrong? Where's Sigrid?" She knew his name and his wife in part because of Bard and also since he was the only dwarf who actually lived in Dale rather than the Lonely Mountain. She had never seen him with the babies by himself and the anxious look in his eye tipped her off that something was wrong. After grabbing her bag of medicines, she took a baby, Girion, and stepped out the door. He quickly explained the situation while they made their way back to his home. Tilda appeared out of nowhere and joined them, taking little Thror for Fili as she listened in on the dark tale. Once he arrived home, Fili rushed to Sigrid's side, finding that neither she nor their daughter had moved from their prostrate positions.

Fili tenderly laid his wife on their bed and placed Laurinquë beside her, wondering why he had not thought of that before leaving to summon the healer. Hæfgimm looked them over. "What have they eaten today?"

"I have no idea! I have been out all day helping someone repair a roof." They looked around and found the three pies. "Mmhhmm, this smells delicious!" Fili sighed and he held a pan to his nose.

"Wait! Do not eat it! Did Sigrid make them?"

They looked around and soon discovered no evidence that she had baked that day. They concluded she hadn't made the treats and Hæfgimm determined the two had been poisoned, although with what she did not know. "Fili, I need you to boil some water for me while I fix some medicine for them." He complied, needing something to do rather than simply sit and wring his hands.

The healer rummaged in her bag and produced a chunk of charcoal, mortar, and pestle. Her hands worked quickly and methodically to grind the charcoal into a power. She actually didn't need to hot water for that but wanted to give Fili something a task, and some tea would be nice for everyone. Fili helped to administer the medicine and resumed his bedside vigil.

"Will they be ok?" He worried, seeing no movement in either his wife or daughter.

"I do not know, Fili. I am sorry. The charcoal I gave them should absorb the poison in their stomachs and help it pass through their systems without too much of a problem. But that does depend on how long it has been since they consumed the pies. I think we should wait a few hours and see if they improve. If they do not, I will send word to Lord Elrond."

Tilda hugged her brother-in-law. "I'll stay with you and care for the babies." She turned to the healer. "Will you be staying as well?"

"Yes, I would like to keep an eye on them. But it would be nice to have you here as well."

"Yes," Fili piped up. "Please stay." With that the threesome fixed some tea for themselves and settled down to wait.

Esmerelda hurried away through the village, cackling to herself. "Now you shall die, blonde dwarf!" She would wait until nightfall to go back and learn of her destruction. For now, she had other plans. A large warg awaited her in some bushes outside Dale and she rode away to the northern edge of Mirkwood, a place that could conceal nefarious activities. Some new friends awaited her there, eager to do her bidding.

About four hours later, Laurinquë slowly rolled over and blinked. "Papa?" she asked.

Fili scooped up his daughter and showered her with kisses. "You feeling better, honey?" he gently crooned.

"No, I feel really sick, Papa." She snuggled close to him, then held her stomach. Hæfgimm hurried over with a bucket, and not a minute too soon. As Fili held her hair back and rubbed her back, the little girl leaned over and wretched heavily. "It's alright, sweetie," he crooned softly, his voice tinged with emotion. It was awful to see his precious little girl this sick. In fact, he'd seen few people in such a bad way.

His expression clued Hæfgimm in that he needed some reassurance. "That reaction is a good thing. She should be fine now, although I daresay she might not feel her best for a couple of days," the healer assured the dwarf as he met her eyes with a worried look.

"Can you tell us what happened, sweetie?"

"No. Why is Mommy asleep?" Looking over on the bed, Laurinquë noticed her mother still sleeping, wondering why she would take a second nap.

"She doesn't feel good right now. Did you two eat the pies?"

"Yes! I had apple! Yummy!" She licked her lips. "The old lady made me wait to eat it until Mommy woke up."

"What old lady?"

"The one who gave me the pies! She said she used to be friends with Mommy."

Hæfgimm stepped over and checked the child, knowing she would be fine. "What did this woman look like?"

"Her face was like an old dried apple and she walked funny."

"What do you mean she walked funny?"

"I don't know. Not like you or anyone else. Like she stepped in a hole every time she tried to walk."

Elf and dwarf exchanged a puzzled look, neither realizing who the person could be. Figuring they would get no more information from the child, Hæfgimm gave her a cup of peppermint tea to help settle her stomach. They tucked her into the bed beside Sigrid and propped her up with pillows.

Fili moved a chair to his wife's side of the bed and laced his fingers with her unresponsive ones. If he could take her place, he would have done so without a moment's hesitation. His heart hurt that he could do nothing for her, as though someone had reached inside his chest and squeezed his heart.

After washing the dishes and cleaning up the small mess Laurinquë had made, Hæfgimm checked the poisoned woman again. "Everything seems in good order. I know it's hard to wait. We shall see how things look in the morning."

"Should we send word to Lord Elrond?" Fili wanted to do everything in his power to heal his wife. He hated feeling helpless. It brought back too many memories of Kili's orc blade wound. However, at least that tragedy brought about his brother's marriage, even if he still had a slight limp from his wound.

"No. I think we should wait until morning, then if nothing has changed you might send for him or at least an elven healer from Mirkwood. You should try to rest too. It's no good having you take sick as well!"

"Alright." Too weary to protest much, he crawled into bed beside his wife and held her close, unwilling to leave her side again.

***I owe Pinterest &amp; Council of Elrond a big thanks for a bit of research on poisons &amp; Rohirric names, respectively.**


	17. Chapter 17

_**Note: When I checked my email this morning, lo &amp; behold I found about 5 reviews for this story! ~dances with happiness~ Thank you so much! I truly appreciate it. Once again, please let m know if you find any mistakes/inconsistencies. This chapter is your reward for reviewing!  
**_

**17\. Esmerelda Again  
**

Under the cover of darkness, Esmerelda sneaked back to Fili and Sigrid's home. She placed her ear against the door and heard voices in conversation, confident the night would cover her nefarious activities. Overhearing the voice of her former dwarven love caused her to grimace. He should be either dead or dying right now, not up and speaking with the healer! Things did not look good on her side of the equation. If Fili hadn't eaten any of the pie, that meant his health was as good as ever. Perhaps if Sigrid or their daughter died from the poison, he too would soon pass away from a broken heart. However, the once-schoolteacher could not hope for such a thing, especially since this made her third failed plan. She bit back a scream of rage. That vile woman seemed thoroughly invincible! What else could Esmerelda do to infiltrate that accursed mountain?

The next day, she limped into the village and traded more pies, un-poisoned, for some beautiful lemon silk. She purchased thread to go with it, then returned to her hideaway to make herself a new dress. It took her about a week to design and sew the intricate contraption, which provided much time for perfecting her plan of action. Once finished, she made up her face the best she could, hoping to be as alluring as possible. She did not realize how old, wrinkled, and dishevelled she actually was and expected her "beauty" to charm men as it always had. She still saw her former self when she looked into the streams to check her face and clothing, her mind altering her sight so that she saw with her eyes what in reality didn't exist.

Under the cover of the night, her large warg carried her to the base of the Lonely Mountain and returned to his den. Esmerelda scouted out the place and once it was light flounced up to the gates.

"Hallo Erebor!" she called cheerfully and a guard appeared. The dwarves were still rather fearful of attacks and seldom let people wander in and out freely, with the exception of the townspeople in Dale and the elven mercenaries from Mirkwood. After all, one cannot be too careful in Middle Earth, particularly with Mirkwood and its dangers of both spiders and orcs being so near. Not to mention King Dain had been informed of the poisoning that had happened in Dale. He worried that someone might try to come and poison him, especially if that crazy woman wished to take over the mountain – not that he was scared of a mere female, mind you, but rather did not want to fool with such a mentally unstable mind and all the trouble she'd cause. Even though he expected the schoolteacher was long dead, he still erred on the side of caution when it came to protecting his precious wealth. Too many lives had been lost in the battle to get back this mountain and he would not let anyone undo all that hard work.

"Yes? What do you want?" the guard inquired warily, as having a fancy woman wishing entrance was a rather unusual, if not un-heard-of, occurrence.

She smiled. "May I come in? I much desire to speak with King Dain Ironfoot."

"What is your business?"

Scowling menacingly, she replied in anger. "My business is none of yours. Please allow me entrance so that I may speak directly with the king."

"Alright, hold on and I shall see if he can speak with you." No need to bite his head off! But polite he must be, as a representative of the Lonely Mountain.

"Thank you." Her reply was short and crisp, in a tone that said not to mess with her.

He returned a few minutes later and opened the gates, then led her to the king's throne room.

"What is it you want, milady?"

She glanced at the guard, and Dain motioned him away, much to his chagrin.

Now that she was before the fearsome dwarf, she was unsure exactly what to do. Her heart pounded rapidly as she attempted to put on her most seductive smile. "Your Majesty," she hesitated, "Do you have a wife?"

The dwarf's face contorted in a puzzled expression. "No. My wife died when our son was born nigh unto a hundred years ago. I have never desired to remarry. Your point?"

"Perhaps I could provide some matchmaking services for you? After all, every good king has a strong queen by his side."

Dain felt rather insulted. "Excuse me, madam, but I shall have you know that I have no need of a woman, nor have I ever wanted one since the passing of my wife. I am quite content as a widower and find myself strong enough. Besides, I would never get her away from all those jewels! She would probably keep my smithies busy just making jewellery on every single whim she had."

"I am sorry, Sire! However, I think having a woman by your side could help you manage your kingdom better. After all, us ladies are experts at pointing out how to remodel." She batted her eyes and flashed her once-white teeth at him. Unfortunately, the dwarf found her actions rather distasteful and swallowed back some vomit. This woman was worse than the desolation the great dragon Smaug had wreaked upon Dale so many years ago!

"Which is precisely why I have no desire for a second wife," Dain stated firmly. Her grin turned into a dark frown and she clenched her hands into tight fists, digging her long nails into her palms until they came close to bleeding.

"Guards! Kindly escort this personage out of my palace and ban her from further entry!" The man from the gate, who had stayed in the background the entire interaction, rushed forward. Esmerelda ran from him, but he led a hot pursuit through several rooms and succeeded in backing her up against a wall, which was currently undergoing reconstruction.

"Please, you need to leave. If you will come with me, I shall escort you back out."

"No!" she shrieked, determined to seduce Dain one way or another. As the dwarf drew nearer, she shrank further back against the stones, which had not yet been re-mortared from the blows it had taken when the orcs catapulted it. Although she was not a large woman, her weight against the rocks was enough to cause them to tumble down, taking her with them. The dwarf lunged for her but failed to grip her arm as she plummeted down the side of the mountain. Once the stones quit falling, he peered out and saw her body, half buried beneath the remains of the wall. He rushed outside to check on her and found her quite dead, her body bruised, broken, and bloody. He buried her, and Dain gave him permission to go into Dale and see if anyone knew her. Those in the market told him about her purchases but denied knowing her. He inquired elsewhere, even with King Bard, and learned nothing more of the mysterious person. Thus Esmerelda passed on, her evil life purged from the planet.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Author's note: We're nearing the end of our long journey! As always, please read &amp; review! Please? I honestly do enjoy it!  
**_

**Chapter 18: Family Matters**

Whilst Esmerelda had been preparing for her journey into the Lonely Mountain, Fili and Sigrid's house had been abnormally quiet. Laurinquë slept fairly peacefully through the night and woke up feeling better, although she tired from her playing rather quickly. She certainly made less noise than usual, even when Tilda took her outside for a few minutes. However, her mother was another story. She had yet to stir from her prostrate position. At dawn, Hæfgimm softly walked over to her and examined her, seeing that she had not taken a turn for the worse.

Stirring from his sleep, Fili sat up in bed and blinked his eyes. Then he noticed the healer bending over his wife. "Is she any better?" His voice warbled more than he intended and he was rather glad his beard helped to hide his blush.

"Well, she does not appear any worse. I do not think we need to worry about sending for an elven healer right now, but if there is no improvement tomorrow you must send for someone. I must go back to my own home now. Send someone for me if she awakens."

"I will. Thank you for your help."

"You're welcome. It is my job, after all. What you can do is keep giving both of them peppermint tea. It might help and certainly will not hurt anything." Hæfgimm took her leave.

Hearing the door close, Tilda woke up. She yawned and stretched. "Did Sigrid wake up yet?"

"No, there has been no change." Fili sighed, his eyes drooping in sadness and exhaustion. "Could you put the kettle on? Hæfgimm just left and said peppermint tea is a good idea."

"Yes. You must stay with my sister." Tilda hurried with her task. After about 15 minutes, she returned from the kitchen area and presented Fili with two cups of tea. "This one is for Sigrid, and when Laurinquë wakes up I'll help her with this one."

"Thank you, Tilda." He took the tea from her a propped Sigrid up, then slowly spooned it into her mouth. After about five tries, he set the mug back down and laced his fingers through hers. "Sigrid, sweetheart, I need you to come back to me! We all need you. I love you!" He gently pressed a kiss to her lips, wishing he could caress all the poison out of her system and hoping she would recover as well as their daughter had. Suddenly, he felt pressure against his lips and drew back in surprise. Sigrid's eyes slowly blinked open as she felt his warm lips caressing hers. "Fili?"

"Sigrid!" he cried happily, gathering her into his arms and smothering her in kisses. "Are you alright, my love?"

"I feel like a wagon ran over me! What happened?"

"The healer, Hæfgimm, figured out you were poisoned through those pies."

Tilda ran over and hugged her sister. "You're alright!"

"Well, I think I will be!"

Fili turned to his sister-in-law. "Would you mind getting Hæfgimm?"

"No. I'll be right back!" She practically ran all the way to the healer's house while the reunited couple chatted.

"Do you have any idea who gave the pies to us?"

Sigrid explained what had happened, and they were no closer to figuring out the antagonist than they were before, much to everyone's chagrin. Then Tilda returned with Hæfgimm in tow, who pronounced mother and daughter on the road to recovery. Fili slipped her a few coins and she quietly left. Bard and Bain came by later that afternoon and they spoke of the events. The King of Dale promised to inquire around for any strange sightings or happenings and would also send word to King Dain, since he still liked to post lookouts on top of the mountain to this day.

Laurinquë recovered faster than her mother and the next day was back to her usual, playful self. However, Sigrid tired more easily and lost her appetite. Fili stayed home from his other tasks to be with her and help with the children, as well as protect her should any more attacks happen.

Then Kili came down from the mountain a little over a week after the poisoning incident. "Our cousin sent me with some interesting news!" He burst into the door, an excited grin on his face.

"Well, don't just stand there like a dunce, Kili! Tell us!" His brother playfully punched his arm and head-butted him, a sign of affection they enjoyed but rarely used these days.

The younger brother proceeded to tell of Esmerelda's visit to Erebor and her dreadful demise.

Sigrid gasped in horror. "Do you think it could have been Esmerelda? She's the only one who's claimed Erebor as her own…"

"That's what we thought," Kili mused. "So I think this woman's days of villainy are over. We can now rest in peace, as horrible as the situation is."

"As much as I grew to dislike her, I never wished such a dreadful end for Esmerelda! How awful!"

Rubbing her back, Fili tried to comfort her. "Sweetheart, she was too far gone to be helped. We all tried to help her see the error of her ways, but she refused. There was nothing more we or anyone else could have done. Now we must simply forget the matter, knowing she cannot harm us any longer."

"I suppose you are right."

Kili visited a while longer, then returned to his own family.

_-One year later-_

Kili and Tauriel thought three children a good number and although they planned no more, they were surprised when the elf became pregnant with twins.

One night, as the children slept, the elf asked her husband to talk with her. "Kili, I know we have spoken on this matter before, but what do you think of having more children?"

"I think I told you three is fine, but if you want more I am not opposed."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that is good because I am expecting again!"

"Really?" The dwarf was genuinely delighted and caressed his wife.

"Yes! And my elvish intuition tells me we shall have twins this time!"

"Oh good! Fili has told me what a joy his twins are, despite being a challenge."

The couple embraced and fell asleep in each other's arms, quite content. And about a year later, they met their new children. Their two daughters were named Arabesque (after Thranduil's departed wife) and Eregwen. As Fili and Sigrid warned, the girls were certainly both a joy and a challenge, but one they would never trade for anything else.

:D

All eight cousins grew up to be fine young people and all married (not to each other, of course) and had children of their own. Some were wed to dwarves and other to elves, and Eregwen actually married Bard's son Bain and thus became Queen of Dale, which greatly pleased her family. She married him for love rather than social status because she had also been taught relationships are much more important than gold and other earthly riches. She certainly had a good example of that in both her own parents and her aunt and uncle. Her marriage was accepted because neither Tauriel nor Kili were directly related to Bard's family, even if the relationship may seem strange. Bain, several years the senior of Eregwen, knew she was the right woman for him and refused to take any nonsense about their relationship; as with any town, gossips prevailed and tried to spread nasty rumours about them, which they promptly ignored. The people soon learned to love their new princess, who was one of the best rulers they ever had, fully complementing the prince. When Bard passed away, his son carried on a legacy and was well-known throughout the land for being a wise and gracious ruler, as was his dear wife and eventually their son Brand as well.


	19. Chapter 19

**Epilogue Part 1: A Change of Perspective**

**_Author's Note: I told you everything would work out for Legolas, so here you go! _****_Since my epilogue is really long, I divided it into four parts, so bear with me! However, if you don't like what I do in the next chapter my epilogue may just become a short sequel. We shall see. As always, read &amp; review, please?_**

Many years passed and the War of the Ring came upon Middle Earth as the darkness infiltrated more and more of Arda. Tauriel's home of Mirkwood yielded a new hero in this time period: none other than her former suitor Legolas.

One day, almost 70 years after the Battle of the Five Armies, a messenger from Rivendell arrived at the entrance to Mirkwood Palace. "I seek audience with King Thranduil," he informed the guards, sounding much more assertive than he actually felt. An elf disappeared and returned a few minutes later, summoning him inside. He escorted him to the throne room, where the Elvenking sat regally with a disgusted look upon his handsome face, his eyebrows furrowed together and jaw set in a firm line. He wished to have no dealings with Rivendell but knew it was his royal duty to give the elf a chance to speak. However, Lord Elrond remained one of his least favourite elves, along with any who associated themselves with him. "What, pray tell, does an elf from Rivendell wish in my kingdom?"

The elf stepped back, never having seen his own ruler in such a state, dazed by the Elvenking's cold blue eyes. "Please, your Majesty, Lord Elrond has sent me here this day with a request." He handed a paper to the guard, who stood nearby and promptly walked it over to his ruler.

Thranduil carefully unrolled the scroll and spent several minutes studying it before looking up. "I should like a few minutes, if you do not mind."

"Not at all!" The Rivendell elf began to feel like a prisoner after being escorted by the guard the whole time, although he breathed a sigh of relief once he left the sight of the Mirkwood Ruler.

"Fairion, please summon Legolas at once," Thranduil directed his second in command, who immediately rushed off to do his master's bidding. Returning several minutes later, Fairion and Legolas, who had returned for a brief respite after spending many years with the Rangers, cautiously approached his father.

"_Ion_, I have a proposal for you. Lord Elrond has invited me to attend an important council. However, I should like for you to attend in my stead. I sense that you need more time outside of our realm, and this will give you the perfect opportunity."

"You want me to go in your stead, Ada?" Now it was Legolas's turn to furrow his brow, a scowl on his face as he tensed ever so slightly. He had been depressed ever since he found out about Tauriel's marriage to Kili. It was his dream to marry her, but she never seemed to see things in the same way. Now it appeared to be impossible to wed her. Even after so many years with the Dúnedain, his heartbreak still plagued his mind. His father, while displeased at this immaturity, allowed him his space for a good while, fully understanding he needed to grieve. However, about three-quarters of a century was more than long enough and the Elvenking knew his son needed a change of pace to bring him out of the depression. He didn't want his son to follow the path he'd taken of letting his grief harden, consume, and plague him for centuries. Even now, Thranduil knew he had a long way to go in relinquishing the pain connected with his wife's tragic death. He couldn't bear to see another elf hurt in the same way, especially not his own son, who had never even had the proper chance to grieve over his mother, since she was killed shortly after Legolas's birth.

As much as he loved his son, the Elvenking remained unamused at his visible display of dislike. "Did I not say it clearly enough? I certainly am not going to leave the comfort of my own kingdom to visit a primitive one ruled by someone whom I dislike! You must go because you do not wish to rule Mirkwood and it is your duty as the royal prince to represent our kingdom."

As can be expected, the Elvenprince disagreed with his father and had the gall to give him a rude look, something which simply was not done with the Elf King! Only Legolas could get away with such an unspoken gesture unscathed. "Ada, you really should go. I do not want to leave Mirkwood just yet, at least not to go to Rivendell. And after all, you are the Elvenking and I am but a mere prince."

Thranduil, growing angrier at his son's defiance, replied, "Legolas, you have been brooding over Tauriel far too long. As your father and king I must insist you attend the council, whether you like it or not." His son continued the grouchy stares, taunting his father.

"Do not argue with me!" Now the Elvenking's eyes blazed with a cold blue light, and with good reason. "Do you not recall I too have lost my one true love?" The ugly scar that marred the left side of his face appeared as he got closer to Legolas's own face. "Yes, I know your Naneth died, meaning I can never get her back. A day does not go by where I do not think of her. I loved her with all my heart and I always will. Remember how I told you she loved you? She truly did; it was not her choice to die but she did anyway. There was nothing I could do to prevent it, and everything she did was out of her deep love for both you and me. But that doesn't stop the desperation I feel every single time I realize I can never hold her in my arms again." His anger slowly blended into deep despair as he revealed some of his deepest feelings to his son and his scar became veiled once more; he never shared these things with anyone.

Legolas looked sadly at his father, unshed tears making his eyes shimmer. "I know, Ada. I miss her so much! I wish I had been able to know her. Not having a mother is hard."

Thranduil gave a small, sad smile, pleasant memories filling his mind. "Legolas," he suddenly interjected, "did you know I got my scars defending my wife?"

The younger elf shook his head "no", for he had not been told much about the event of his mother's death nor about how his father got his scars; he only knew it had something to do with dragon fire.

"I tried hard to save her from the dragons, but she was consumed before I could do anything. However, I know what she would say if she could see me now: she would tell me my scars are beautiful to her because I got them trying to rescue her." His eyes glossed over in a far-away look as he reminisced over his beloved. "She was always one to see the beauty in even the ugliest things. I think perhaps you need to learn this same lesson. Try to think of how your infatuation with Tauriel can turn out for your good, rather than allowing yourself to brood over her for so long. I made that mistake by withholding all my emotions about your Naneth's death, when what I needed to do was release them and accept her fate. It's still a struggle for me even to this day. I cannot get my wife back, but you have hope in your situation if you deal with it correctly. Recall Tauriel is merely married rather than dead; remember that Kili is mortal, unlike us, so there is still hope for you. You simply must be patient and wait. I would suggest this trip could help you to ease your pain and to forget about the major issues of your relationship. I had hoped your years with the Dúnedain would cure you of this, yet I see it has not been the case. Legolas, you know I love you and would give anything to ease your pain if I could. However, it is something you must accept and use to make yourself a better elf, and the journey will help with that. I know you will always grieve over her loss, but you have to learn to think of others. Besides, she is in good hands with Kili and seemed quite happy the last time I saw her. Think of her happiness and not your own, my _ion_."

"Yes, Ada." The prince knew not to contend anymore. The discussion had ended and he would go to Rivendell, whether he liked it and wanted to leave or not.

The Elvenking smiled and the two embraced. "Go pack whatever you need and you can return to Rivendell with the messenger. I know he should like to leave Mirkwood as soon as possible."

With that the younger elf exited and thus was the beginning of his part in the Fellowship of the Ring. Being a part of the group matured him considerably because he had others to think about. It even helped his depression to fade, as it is rather hard to be that sad when one is running for his life and attempting to make sure his small friends are safe, not to mention ensuring that the Ring of Power had not made its way into the hands of the enemy. His time with the Rangers had been brief in the life of an elf and for the most part peaceful, so this journey would be a bit of a new experience. Although Legolas still thought of Tauriel and had many misgivings about dwarves, being around Gimli slowly changed his mind and he ended up learning to appreciate the dwarves and their ways. In fact, the two remained fast friends long after the war was over.

_Over a Year Later_

The Elvenking sat regally on his throne, as usual, listening to some complaints from his elves about repairing some things within the kingdom. They were interrupted by a guard rushing in. "King Thranduíl!" he panted out as he bowed before the high throne.

"Yes?" he sighed in response.

"Legolas has entered our realm!"

Heedless of anyone or anything else, Thranduil rushed down from his throne and ran down to the gate. The guards barely opened it in time for him to rush out. He spotted the familiar flaxen head in the distance and ran to greet him. As soon as Legolas saw his Ada he sped towards him as well and they met in a warm embrace. "Legolas! I missed you," the Elvenking murmured.

Tears shone in the younger elf's eyes. "Ada, you were right," he admitted, although it was tough. "I truly needed to get out and see the evil in this world, as well as the good. I have treated you so badly. I never realized what you have been through, how much war changes an elf. Seeing so many lose their lives to fight for what they believe in, and coming close to being killed myself numerous times, all that is something I never understood until now."

The two walked back to the throne room and Legolas recounted his many adventures. The Elvenking recounted his own skirmish towards the end of the War over the Ring (which is another story). He was impressed at how much his son had matured. He truly had made the right decision to insist he go on that journey. Unfortunately, this also meant the prince no longer held Mirkwood in the same place as he had before. In fact, he had been rather restless from the time he grew up until he left to meet the Dúnedain; his return after that made him realize that place was no longer home and he belonged elsewhere. He eventually moved away to Ithilien with many of the other elves. Staying in Rivendell and Lothlórien helped him see how the other elves lived and how the time of the elves truly was over, as Elrond put it.*

Mirkwood, rather Eryn Lasgalen, never had the beautiful tales of long ago and of the Undying Lands that the Elvenprince heard in the other realms, and he found them most intriguing. He had seen much death and appreciated the promise of escaped the Blessed Realm held for him, even if he was not quite ready to sail away. He found himself comforted in their promises and his grief over losing Tauriel to Kili eased to a tiny ache far in the depths of his heart. He now had a strong, brotherly bond with Gimli and thought that must be better than romance; after all, females are rather curious creatures, but males were something he could understand perfectly, especially after fighting side by side and guarding each other-s backs for so long.

Thranduil respected Legolas's decision, even though it grieved him considerably. After all, his wife had been deceased for many centuries now, and he only had one child, Legolas, and no other immediate family. Celeborn was kin to him but had moved to Rivendell when Galadriel sailed for the Undying Lands; his grandsons-in-law dwelled there with him. Thankfully, many elves, especially Fairion, remained loyal to their beloved Thranduil and stayed with him in Mirkwood while he ruled as the Last Elf King.

_**Note: I just feel the need to fangirl over Thranduil...What do you all think of his changes?**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**My apologies for the mistake! I thought this chapter was up but for some reason it put up chapter sixteen, or I accidentally did. Please tell me if anything like this happens again! Why did no one let me know?**_

_**Anyway: Warning! This chapter is rated M just in case. And feel free to voice your opinions, even angry ones! I honestly don't mind! PM me if you don't want to leave it in a review.**_

**Epilogue Part 2: The Siege of Erebor**

_-As Legolas journeys with the remaining Fellowship of the Ring and battles, drama occurs in Erebor-_

Over three-quarters of a century after regaining Erebor, the fortress was attacked once again on March 17, 3019. Saruman, jealous of Sauron's growing power in Middle Earth, strove to wreak whatever havoc he could on the free peoples whom the Dark Lord had left alone thus far. Under Dain's rule, the Lonely Mountain had grown into a beautiful, strong kingdom, as was Dale, now ruled by Bain and Eregwen's son Brand after the passing of both beloved rulers. The restored kingdom was perfect for the former White Wizard to gain a stronghold in every part of Middle earth.

The two kings called their men together as soon as they noticed the Easterlings heading their way. Watchmen in both cities rang alarm bells furiously. Women screamed and children cried as everyone ran towards the safety of the Lonely Mountain, unsure of the danger but terribly frightened all the same. In record time, everyone safely retreated inside the mountain's strong walls.

King Brand gazed out a window, then turned to his friend King Dain and stated the facts they both knew too well, trying to shake himself into reality by speaking of the dire situation. "Your majesty, the Easterlings have surrounded us. I am afraid we are besieged. Do you have a plan of action?" The ruler of Dale had lived all his monarchy in peace, and although he knew how to fight, he had never faced a real live battle before, much less been held captive by a group of angry and fearsome men. He looked up to the dwarf not only for his seniority but also for his experience in such matters; he was the most seasoned (and probably oldest!) warrior the man knew.

"Brand, we must fight these men, no matter the cost. I shall not allow my mountain to be conquered again. She spent too many years in the hand of the dread dragon Smaug and I shall not allow the hard work of my people to go to waste. I ask you to join me with your men. I would like to divide them among the various exits and yield a multisided attack."

"Of course I shall join you! You have provided refuge for my people and been a dear friend to me. It is my duty to serve you and join you in battle, no matter the cost. You are right; we cannot allow our kingdoms to be conquered by our foes yet again. I cannot allow history to practically repeat itself either."

Dwarf and man shook hands. "Go, gather your most able-bodied men and join me in the armoury," Dain commanded.

Brand's wife, Ingrid, walked by as he made his way to the appointed place. "Brand, my love, what is wrong?" The worried look in his eye concerned her, his face grim and steps measured as though he was on a mission to save the world.

He stopped at looked at her, trepidation filling the deep nut brown depths of his eyes. "Ingrid, sweetheart, I am afraid we must go to war against these men camped outside our gates." Stepping over to her, he gathered her in his arms.

"Oh Brand, must you? Is there not another way? Won't they listen to reason and work out some sort of peace treaty or something?"

Guiding her to a window, he pointed outside and she gasped. "Ingrid, you see now why we must fight. They have us completely surrounded. These men are ruthless, under rule of the Dark Lord Sauron, and will stop at nothing to get what they want. Although I'm sure Dain keeps his kingdom well-stocked, we cannot stay here forever without any income of food, nor can we rely on his hospitality forever. What I need you to do for me is make sure all the women bid their husbands farewell. This is war, my love, and many of our men shall not set foot inside this mountain again." He looked deeply into her eyes, his love for her glowing into her very soul.

"I will, my love." She wrapped her arms tighter around him and he tenderly lowered his lips to hers, which she eagerly met with her own in a long and passionate caress.

"I love you, Ingrid, with all my heart. Be brave for me."

"And I love you, dearest one. Be careful!" With that they parted ways.

Several hours later, the men of Dale and dwarves of Erebor marched side by side through the Lonely Mountain, ready to attack and defeat their enemy. Fili and Kili were among them and spoke while they marched, recalling the last time they had gone into battle together.

"Fili, are you ready for this?"

"Yes, this time I am. I honestly do not wish to live any longer. Losing my dear Sigrid these long three decades ago has been dreadful. I feel as though I am nothing without her by my side."

The golden-haired dwarf's mind flashed back to that fateful day. They'd gone to bed that night at the same time as usual. Sigrid had been feeling a bit poorly lately, especially after her father passed away 25 years before that, and her brother Bain five years ago. Fili curled his arms around his wife as they lay together and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I love you, Sigrid. Sleep well!"

"I love you." She gave him a long kiss on the lips and snuggled against him. Soon she was fast asleep with a contented smile on her face, and her husband followed suit. At dawn, Fili awoke as he usually did and gazed at his wife, who still slept in his arms. However, he noticed she felt rather cold and checked her breathing. He placed a hand on her chest and felt no heartbeat there. "Sigrid!" he sobbed as he held her lifeless body in his arms. He knew this day would come and that his heart would break; unfortunately, no amount of preparation could help when the event actually came to pass. After spending several minutes in shocked silence, he told the rest of the family and some women prepared her body for burial. The funeral, surreal, left little imprint in his mind and he snapped back to the present, giving his brother a dazed look.

Kili beheld at his brother, for the first time feeling protective over him instead of the other way around. "Look, Fili, I know it hurts. I thought I would die if Tauriel chose Legolas over me, yet at the same time if I knew it would make her happy, I would have gladly given her up. However, I do not think your loss should cause you to lose your will to live. I still need you, as do your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, in addition to all my brood."

"Kili, you don't understand. I know you mean well, and I truly appreciate it. But you know a dwarf cannot dwell on immortally. If I am to die eventually, it may as well be sooner rather than later, even if we are still on our middle ages for dwarves. I have survived long enough without my wife and am ready to go."

"Then at least promise me you will not do anything rash and will stay close to me, and Dain as well."

"My allegiance to my family comes first and foremost. You know that, Kili. Of course I shall stay by your side and fight, just as we used to practice when we were young." And so the brothers set off to battle once more.

Tauriel wanted to tag along, but Kili insisted she must remain in the mountain and care for the womenfolk. While she did not like that idea in the slightest, she agreed to stay for a time until she felt the women could fend for themselves. It had been too long since she smelled the fresh blood of her enemies to fully resist going at all. Stabbing her knives into her foes gave her a thrill she could never explain. It energized her and seemed one of the most useful things to do for her country. She was just as able-bodied and adept as any man, if not more so, thus they needed her in the battle. About four hours after the men left to form their attack, she slipped out of the room in which she'd sequestered the other womenfolk and donned her weapons, a grim and determined look on her face.

Meanwhile, every single exit from the mountain contained a group of men and dwarves awaiting the order to exit and attack. With all the unrest in Middle Earth these days, every man was taught from boyhood how to wield a sword and shoot a bow. Framed by Ered Mithrim, the Grey Mountains, on the north side and the great forest of Mirkwood to the west, their small area of the world had been left alone, for the most part, until now. Thus the younger men trembled a bit at the prospect of battle, even if it was rather exciting at the same time.

Fili and Kili headed one group, while Dain and Brand led two more, each prepared for death and to lead their men in a successful turn against the besieging army. None were greatly concerned; they knew the Easterlings were not nearly as formidable a foe as orcs and a bit easier to kill.

Saruman's pawns stood poised and ready for battle as they surrounded Erebor. Their right hands held long spears which stood straight as their ends rested on the ground, and their left hands gripped sturdy shields which, for now, relaxed near the ground. As soon as the younger men looked into their faces, they knew they had an enemy who knew what they were doing; every single dark and scruffy man had a stoic and determined expression, their black eyes showing no sign of mercy.

At the sound of a large horn at the top of the mountain, all the group leaders yelled the command, "Charge!" With that, the soldiers exited the mountain, feet pounding against the rocky terrain as they faced their foes head-on. Determination flashed in their wild eyes as the first sound of metal clashing against metal reached their ears. The Easterlings drew back in surprise but quickly recovered as they met in a fierce battle lasting three long days.

Dreadfully tired from the ceaseless battle that had been waged these past three days, Dain and Brand worked their way towards each other as their groups corralled a large portion of their enemy away from the mountain. Sword and axe swung against the dark men. Suddenly, a particularly seasoned Easterling faced King Brand of Dale. Locking spear and sword, they struggled against each other. As Brand plunged his weapon fatally into the man, another enemy came up behind him and ran his spear through his back and all the way until it poked out of his stomach, killing him instantly. King Dain watched him fall and cried out, his axe swinging in a more determined manner than ever. By this time the rest of their group had been pushed off to another area, and the dwarf found himself surrounded. Although he fought bravely, there were too many for him to defeat and he too fell alongside his ally. A survivor of the group later told Brand's son, Bard II, of his father's death, which he immediately vowed to avenge in one way or another.

Meanwhile, Fili and Kili once again fought side by side, each vowing that they had the other's back. It had been a long time since they had battled and they found their skills a bit rustier than they were comfortable with. Their short blades slashed back and forth as they slayed many Easterlings. Fili's face fell as memories of the Battle of the Five Armies flickered before his eyes. Although he hadn't actually seen his dear uncle Thorin fall, he'd heard many accounts of his death and all the tales came flashing back to him. A red rage filling his eyes, his energy increased to a maddening pace Kili had a hard time keeping up with. Almost blindly he slaughtered his foes and didn't feel the gashes and wounds they gave him. Soon his clothing dripped with blood, both his own and that of his foes. About three hours into the battle, he tripped over one of the many bodies and sprawled on the ground in a pool of dark blood.

Kili noticed his brother's fall and cried out in anguish as he rushed to his side. However, it was too late. An Easterling took advantage of the dwarf's prostrate and injured state. The wild man bore down on Fili and plunged his spear into his throat, cackling as more blood spilled form the broken man. The last breath left Fili as his brother reached him, a grim a sorrowful expression on Kili's face.

With that, Kili stood and with a menacing growl stabbed his enemies in vengeance for his late brother. Tauriel came out of the mountain a few hours after the battle began and joined her beloved husband. She had gotten separated from them as the hours wore on. However, as Erebor and Dale's men grew more tired, they banded together until only a few condensed clusters remained. At last, the elf made her way to her husband and he told her of Fili's death as they battled on side by side. She wished she could comfort him in his distress, but that was something that would have to wait until they overthrew the Easterlings. She rather enjoyed being back in the fray again, despite all the tragedies.

Then, the leader of the Easterlings sauntered towards Kili as Tauriel was distracted elsewhere. Their weapons clashed and soon Kili was totally surrounded. Suddenly, five spears dug into his body in all the places his armour left exposed and he collapsed on the ground as a cry of victory rose up. The dwarves and men, having failed their mission, dashed back into the safety of the mountain. All except Tauriel. She charged to her husband's side as the life was leaving him. "Kili! Meleth!" she cried as she knelt before him and clasped his hand.

"Tauriel!" he choked out and squeezed her with a last bit of energy. Raising up the best he could, their lips met in one last passionate kiss. He broke away as he collapsed again. "I love you, Tauriel. We had a good life together. Go, make Legolas happy. I have had you long enough."

"But I need you! I love you! Don't leave me!" she sobbed.

"Tauriel, it's too late. Remember, I always loved you and I always will…" His voice faded and he gasped. The elf laid her head on his chest and felt no heartbeat. Heartbroken, she laid on his dead body, weeping over him. A piece of her own heart died along with him, as though a huge hole had been singed in it by the hottest flames imaginable, leaving an aching and burning sensation in the parts which had not been completely consumed.

The Easterlings regrouped themselves on the plain before the mountain and paid no attention to the brave few who stepped outside of Erebor once again to bury the dead. Shaking herself, Tauriel joined them, glad to have something to do as the shock of the deaths set in. She had expected to have about a hundred more years with her beloved dwarf; their marriage seemed extremely short in the life of an elf, but worth every single minute. Never would she have traded that experience for anything. Men, dwarves, and elf worked quickly to give their fallen comrades a decent burial then made their way back inside the mountain, where the Easterlings continued to besiege them.

The siege lasted a full week until they heard the news of Sauron's downfall. Those who had taken refuges inside the Lonely Mountain had grown discouraged as they plotted how to drive the Easterlings away and great joy filled their hearts when they learned the Dark Lord no longer ruled. The newly crowned kings Bard II son of Brand and Thorin III Stonehelm son of Dain Ironfoot gathered their men and dwarves against the Easterlings with a new energy and vengeance. They successfully drove out the wild men and satisfied their own desires for revenge; neither king would ever forgive himself if they allowed their enemies to live after the brutal deaths of their beloved family members.

Tauriel remained several weeks in Erebor after the Easterlings had been driven away, mourning her loss. She also helped to establish the two new kings on their thrones and comforted their families in their losses. However, after a couple of weeks the great mountain still had a cold, lifeless feel to it. Everyone else appeared fine and didn't notice it, so she knew it was caused by no longer having Kili at her side. Everywhere she looked she was reminded of the many sweet times they'd shared inside the lovely halls of the King Under the Mountain. Her restlessness would have to be addressed sooner or later. The hardest task consisted of convincing her family that she didn't belong there anymore and needed a change of pace. They begged and pleaded but at last gave in when they fully realized her misery and discomfort.

_**Note: F**__**eel free to voice your opinions, even angry ones! I honestly don't mind! PM me if you don't want to leave it in a review.**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**As always, reviews bring joy to me so by all means tell me what you think, even something short like you love how the title gives things away...**_

**Epilogue Part 3: Legolas' Joy***

Tauriel decided to return to her true home of Mirkwood. Erebor held too many painful memories and without Kili she felt as though she no longer had a place there. King Thorin III assured her she could stay in the Lonely Mountain as long as she liked, and King Bard II invited her to live in Dale, but neither place would do. What she needed was her first home and her own people: the elves. Thus she packed her bags, and after a tearful goodbye to her family and promises to visit often, she made the trek back to Mirkwood Palace, once again called Greenwood.

King Thranduil graciously welcomed her back. "Tauriel! You have returned. Tell me, do you desire your job as one of my guards back?"

"I have been considering it. My Kili was killed several weeks ago and I am ready to move on with my life. But before I consent to my old job, where is my childhood friend Legolas?"

The Elvenking's eyes grew a bit misty and held a far-away look at this question. "You have likely heard he was involved in the War of the Ring. He befriended a dwarf, Gimli. He's the son of Gloin, whom you may remember was one of the dwarves we captured when the hobbit came through. Legolas has left with many of my people to a place called Ithilien in Gondor. You already know my son had and still has no desire to rule my kingdom, so I chose to let him go. I could tell he was no longer happy here and I must allow him to make his own way in the world. I think he has seen much during his adventures and his heart grows restless as he hears the fine old tales of the Sea and Undying Lands. He no longer sees the need to stay, as I do, and perhaps the War affected him more than he let on."

"Thank you, King Thranduil. I am afraid at this time I shall not be able to join your guard again. I must speak to Legolas."

"I understand. I was in love once myself. I always knew the two of you were destined to marry at some point, even though I tried my best to keep you apart. I owe you a great apology, Tauriel. I should not have stood in your way. You likely do not remember, but my wife was actually a kitchen maid before we were wed. I loved her with all of my heart. Yet when she was murdered, my heart felt as though it would break in twine. I suppose I was trying to protect Legolas from losing you as I lost my wife. Please forgive me for not realizing sooner that one must make the most of the time you have with your loved ones. Now I have lost both my wife and my son. I will not keep you from your love. Please, when you find Legolas tell him I love him and I am sorry for all I have done."

Tauriel looked up at her king with admiration in her eyes. "Your highness, I forgive you. In fact, your refusal to allow Legolas to propose to me led me to Kili. I had such a wonderful time with him, even though it was so short. Yet I would not trade it for the world. However, Legolas has always held a special place in my heart, and now I am finally ready to see where it will lead. You see, I had always been afraid of marriage, of making such a commitment, all before I met Kili. Then that changed."

The Elvenking understood. "Thank you, Tauriel. Now go find my son!" He gave her a quick and spontaneous hug before shooing her away, a fond smile on his face as he watched her retreating form.

Tauriel had kept up with her warrior skills and felt prepared enough after the battle to set out on her own as she used to do long ago when she was a guard. It was a lengthy way to Ithilien, but she didn't mind. That left her much time to think and prepare for her meeting with her old friend. She made good time and arrived in the fair city of Ithilien a few weeks later.

Legolas and Gimli had been out for a stroll as they often did nowadays, reminiscing on their adventures and sharing their pasts. Consequently, the two were among the first inhabitants to greet her.

Spying the long blonde locks, quite uncommon in Gondor, Tauriel called out to her friend, "Legolas! It's me, Tauriel! I have come to speak with you."

Yet he still held a grudge against her for marrying a dwarf instead of him, thus he turned his back and started to walk away. A firm and resolute expression came over his face as he strode back to his abode. To his chagrin, Gimli stopped him in his tracks. He was there visiting Minas Tirith and the surrounding areas; he ruled some of his people in the Glittering Caves and they made use of their metal working skills to help his friends in both Gondor and Rohan. However, such a strong friendship as the two shared could not be broken through separation and they often visited each other's homes. "Legolas! The lovely lady is talking to you. And I think she is one elf upon which we can agree: she is indeed a fair maiden!" Turning towards her, he introduced himself, "Good day, Miss Tauriel. I am Gimli, called elf-friend by Legolas here. We were a part of the Fellowship of the Ring and became friends through that journey."

"'Tis a pleasure to meet you, Master Gimli. King Thranduil told me a bit about your adventures, although I have yet to hear the entire tale. I see you already know who I am. Legolas and I have been friends since childhood."

"If you have been friends so long, why will he not even speak with you? I have never seen him act this way before…"

"It is a rather unique situation and a long tale. You see, he expected to marry me, even though his father did not approve of such a relationship. Then I fell in love with a dwarf. Did you ever know my Kili?"

"Yes, he was a few years my senior and a distant cousin of mine. And he married you? Now that is a sight I would love to see!"

"Indeed, he was my husband. I regret to inform you that he passed away last month. Some rogue men had attacked our fortress, so he and his brother Fili both died in the attempt to fight them back. King Dain was killed during the attack as well."

Gimli's face fell; there had been too many lives lost in the long war against the Dark Lord Sauron. "I am sorry, Tauriel, for your sake and mine."

"Our side was victorious in the end, but we had our losses. I loved Kili so much and miss him greatly, yet I am grateful for the few years I was able to spend with him. Gimli, are you married?"

"No, I never could bring myself to wed. I enjoy the life of a bachelor too much. Now let me see if Legolas can get this chip off his shoulder and take care of whatever business you have with him."

Legolas had been eavesdropping – after all, Gimli had halted him in his tracks and he felt obliged to stay nearby. Upon hearing that Tauriel was now a widow, he perked up considerably. All these years he had been trying to forget her, knowing she was in the arms of another man and there was nothing he could do about it, yet a small spark remained in his heart where the lovely elf was concerned. He decided he could risk his feelings once again and speak to his former best friend.

"Tauriel! It has been a long time."

"Yes, it has," she smiled. "I have missed you."

"And I you. I truly am sorry about Kili. I know he was a good man and loved you with all his heart."

"Thank you. Look, Legolas, I am sorry about suddenly marrying Kili. I realize I should have better explained my feelings to you instead of just marrying him like I did. I know King Thranduil worried extensively about your pining away for me. Which reminds me, he sends his love to you. His misses you greatly. Will you at least write to him? He seems lonely in the palace; many elves have left and so few remain."

The fair elf's face softened as he began to see things through Tauriel's eyes. For the first time, he realized that waiting for her had been good for both of them and her marriage to Kili was what she had needed, not him. "I forgive you, Tauriel. I know now from listening to your conversation that you truly loved Kili in a way that you could not love me. I was quite immature to sulk the way I did. And yes, I should write my Ada. You know I have never wanted to inherit the throne; ruling is such hard work and I have no skills at it. Besides, Elrond has said that 'the time of the elves is over'* and most of us have left to the Grey Havens. I should like to go there myself in the next few years."

Tauriel could see her friend had definitely matured, and she liked what she saw. "Thank you. I would love to join our kin in the Undying Lands as well, eventually. So now that we have gotten all this cleared up, can we be friends again?"

"I'd like that!" This time it was Legolas's turn to smile. "As long as you befriend Gimli as well!"

"Of course! He has already found a place in my heart."

The two elves had much catching up to do, some of which they did while taking a tour of the city and its surroundings. Tauriel saw many of the elves she knew and with whom she worked in Mirkwood, and it proved to be a joyous reunion. Thus she made the decision to remain there as well.

_-A Year Later-_

The heartbreak Tauriel experienced after losing Kili slowly died down to a dull ache, which she knew would always remain. After all, death was not a thing elves were used to, although in the years leading up to the War of the Ring it had become all too common an occurrence. However, during this time she and Legolas had grown close again, in a new and deeper sort of way. Gimli soon became a fast friend as well, and the trio spent as much time together as they could.

One day when he was visiting, Gimli packed a special lunch for the two. "Here," he said as he handed the basket to Tauriel, "I want you two to have a little picnic outside of the city. Go and enjoy yourselves!" He smiled and slowly closed on eye as he glanced towards Legolas.

The elf returned the grin as she took the basket. "Thank you! What do you say, Legolas? Shall we humour our friend?"

Winking back at her, he simply took her arm and strolled away, leaving behind the dwarf with his teeth flashing in merriment. The elves walked silently out of the city and found a mountain overlook area. Here they ate their meal, chatting and enjoying being together. When they were finished, Legolas had something important to say. He'd done much pondering in the time he'd had with his friend this past year and had finally decided what he must do.

"Tauriel?"

"Yes?" She looked at him, a bit confused at the change in his tone of voice. It sounded more loving and tender than she had heard yet, which made her heart beat faster.

"You know I have loved you for such a long time now. As we have become reacquainted, my love has grown stronger still. I know it has only been a year since Kili died, yet I must ask this question. Will you marry me?"

"Oh Legolas! Yes, I will marry you. I have grown to love you as well. You know I enjoyed my time with Kili and would never have traded it for anything, yet it is time to move on with my life. I would love to spend the rest of my days with you. You do not mind that Kili and I had five children together, who will become your step-children?"

"Tauriel!" he cried, ecstatic that his love could at last bloom into what it was meant to be. He closed the gap between them, and they shared their very first kiss. Legolas had actually never had this experience before and found himself enjoying the feeling. He was the one to deepen the kiss into something so sparkling with love that the air seemed to arc with romance. They at last broke contact and sat back, panting a bit yet very pleased. "I realize now that you and Kili truly loved each other and that your marrying him was the best thing you could do; I was so immature! Yes, I will love your children like they were my own. Tell me, what are they like?"

The elf lady told him all about her beloved kids and grandchildren. Especially touched about the twin daughters, Legolas commented, "You named your daughter after my mother, Arabesque?"

"Yes. Kili and I talked it over, and I explained how kind and compassionate she always was. Where your father sometimes held me with a bit of disdain, the Elvenqueen accepted me for who I was. Believe me, I mourned her tragic loss almost as much as you and your father. I felt, and Kili agreed, that she deserved some recognition and remembrance. The only thing I could give her in return for her years of kindness to me seemed to be having my child live on with her nomenclature."

"Thank you, Tauriel. This means so much to me. Have you told my Ada?"

"No, not directly, but he may have heard about my sweet little girl from someone in Dale."

Tauriel realized she had a second wedding to plan, unsure if Mirkwood was a possibility due to the rift between the Elvenking and his son, as well as being the location of her first wedding.

"Where would you like to get married?" she inquired, knowing that in her former home was the perfect opportunity for father and son to reunite, perhaps with the bond of them remembering the Elvenqueen through talking about her daughter.

"Wherever you want is fine! And I say the sooner the better!"

"You know I would prefer Mirkwood, since it is where we met and grew up together. However, I understand if you want me to choose elsewhere."

"It is a rather far trip, yet I also know Ada would never forgive me if he was unable to see me marry at last. However, at the same time I am concerned of what he will think of the two of us being together. He was extremely hostile about our relationship in the past that maybe it would be better for us to elope and let him know after the fact."

Tauriel looked deeply into her new love's eyes. "King Thranduil loves you, Legolas, and I know he would enjoy watching our wedding. He told me how deeply he regrets keeping us apart, but I assured him that it worked out for good. As I keep saying, I would never trade my time with Kili for anything and I know if I had married you instead our relationship would not be as good as it will be now. So I think we need to marry in Mirkwood, or at least somewhere nearby. Besides, while we are there you can have the pleasure of telling your father about your new children, especially Arabesque; I think this information would come from you better than me."

Legolas was surprised to learn of his father's change in heart and became stuck on that train of thought rather than his soon to be daughter. "My Ada told you that?" He recalled when Thranduil revealed some of that information to him before the War and was shocked he would freely tell someone else. The Elvenking truly had a change of heart for the better.

"Yes! He was trying to protect you from losing me, just as he lost his wife. I never realized how heartbroken he was; he hid it through his anger. Yet now he regrets his actions. Since you moved away, he hardly has anyone left with him."

Legolas had much thinking to do. "Tauriel, I know we just got engaged; would you mind if I just wander out here alone? I am finding it hard to believe that Ada feels this way. I didn't take him that seriously when he told me before, yet now I am not sure what to think."

His fiancé smiled and kissed him gently. "Take all the time you need, Meleth." With that she returned to the city, telling Gimli of their engagement and wedding plans. He was thrilled.

*******The article "The Ruling Family of Mirkwood" by sepdet proved most helpful in writing this chapter. You can find it on the Council of Elrond website.**


	22. Chapter 22

_**As always, reviews bring joy to me so by all means tell me what you think, even something short like you love how the title gives things away...I also accept constructive criticism, such as saying a conversation felt a bit too stiff for people who know and like each other.  
**_

**Epilogue Part 4: Remarriage**

Legolas stayed outside of the citadel for two days. Tauriel knew he needed time and was willing to give it to him. When he returned, she noticed he had a new resolve and a calm, dedicated manner about him, which she found quite attractive.

"Tauriel, Meleth, we need to set out for Mirkwood as soon as possible. I have treated Ada wrongly! Now I am worried that he will not forgive me, yet I also believe his love for me will triumph over any other feelings he may have. It's as though two parts of me are engaged in battle, one for the side that Ada will reject me, the other on the side that Ada will assure me of his love."

"Oh Legolas! Yes, we shall leave right away. I am sure King Thranduil will be glad to see you. You needn't worry about him rejecting you. He has changed ever since the Battle of the Five armies. Once everything is resolved with him, could we finally get married?"

"I'd like that!" He smiled at his future wife, thankful that she was finally free to love him, and he her.

They set out for their former home within a few hours, taking time to pack only the essentials and bid Gimli farewell. The dwarf had duties to perform, unfortunately, and it saddened him that he could not see them wed, yet he knew what they were doing was right and would not have wanted them to change anything.

The two elves made good time and arrived in Mirkwood almost before they knew it. A surprise awaited Legolas when he entered his father's realm.

The guards had alerted the Elvenking of their arrival, and he threw all protocol aside by practically running through the palace. Gripping his robes in his hands, he burst down the hall and out the door, his crown going slightly askew in this mad dash. He skidded to a stop next to the couple as they sought entrance and embraced his son heartily. "Legolas, my son! I am sorry for all I have put you through. Will you forgive me?" His gorgeous blue eyes filled with love and emotion as he reunited with his only child.

The prince hugged his father back. "Ada, I have missed you! Yes, of course I forgive you. Tauriel informed me of what you told her, and now I understand you much better. I didn't quite believe you when you first confided in me, but now I do. I must ask your forgiveness for leaving you so suddenly and without repairing our relationship."

"All is forgiven! Now come inside and refresh yourselves! I sense that you both have something important to tell me."

Tauriel stood in the background and grinned at the happy reunion, then all three elves headed inside.

"Ada, Tauriel and I wish to be married! Here in Mirkwood, if we have your blessing."

Thranduil smiled. "_Ionnin_, you have both my blessing and approval. I should not have stood in your way before, although I see everything worked out despite my selfishness, my withholding you from the one you love."

"Thank you, Ada. Perhaps the long wait was best after all."

"Yes, I believe it was, Meleth." Tauriel stepped up and slipped her hand into the crook of her beloved's arm, the grin on her face warming his heart.

O.O

The next day, Tauriel slipped on a lovely sky blue gown she'd bought in Ithilien. For the first time, she allowed her red locks to flow freely around her face, not tying them up in her usual braids.

Legolas primped himself as well while he borrowed one of his father's best robes, a lovely silver colour with a flash of bright red along the hemline and ends of its flowing sleeves. He then entered the throne room, where the ceremony would take place. Thranduil stepped up beside him and slipped his arm around his shoulders. "I truly am happy for you, my _ion_. Your mother would have loved to see this day. Marriage is the most beautiful thing in this world. Make sure you treat Tauriel better than yourself and you shall have the loveliest relationship you can imagine, as I had with your mother."

"Thank you, Ada. I have long awaited this day. However, I am a bit nervous. Did you have butterflies in your stomach as you waited for Naneth to come down the aisle to you?"

The Elvenking smiled as he recalled his own wedding day many millenniums ago. "Yes, I did. However, once I saw her walking towards me, the butterflies flew away and were replaced by the warmest feeling of love I'd ever experienced. The happy light in her eyes calmed my soul and I knew I had made the right choice. Everything got better from that point on."

Before they could speak more, Tauriel finally entered the room and captured Legolas's full attention. She strode towards him and joined her hands in his, then they stood gazing into each other's eyes. Thranduil cleared his throat and they looked at him. Immediately, he began the ceremony and within a few minutes the couple was officially married. The Elvenking gave his son permission to kiss his bride, and the elf wasted no time. He pulled his wife towards himself and captured her lips with his own, both moaning slightly as they pressed their mouths together and became engrossed in each other. At last they broke contact, panting slightly.

"Welcome to the family, Tauriel!" King Thranduil embraced his new daughter-in-law, truly meaning what he said. "I have always thought of you as a daughter, and now you are! Tell me, am I a grandfather as well? I mean, you and Kili had some children, did you not?"

She smiled, thoroughly enjoying this new relationship with her ruler. "Kili and I had five children, all of whom have married and had their own children, and some of them have children as well. I am sure they would be thrilled to have another grandfather if you would like to claim them!"

"I can do no less! How about we all visit them soon so they can meet their new family members?"

"What a lovely idea! Will that please you, Legolas, Meleth?"

The Elvenprince wrapped an arm around his bride as he turned to his father. "Ada, I would love to have you come with us to meet my new children and grandchildren! And, there is one special daughter I am especially anxious to meet. Kili and Tauriel named one of their twins Arabesque, after Naneth."

Tears shone in the eyes of the Elvenking. "Tauriel, thank you for that. I miss her every single day and am sorry I did not follow in her steps of kindness towards you."

"King Thranduil, you know I have always loved you as my king, and now my father-in-law. You are forgiven!" She hugged him, and he returned the embrace, eager to please his newfound family and show them how loving he really could be. It had been much too long since he showed his love, especially as far as family members and dwarves were concerned.

Legolas had never dreamed he would become a father this quickly, and now he was also a grandfather and great-grandfather! However, he still desired to have his own children with his true love. The Elvenking, unbeknownst to them, also hoped Legolas would produce a child, although true to his word the elf ruler would love Tauriel's family as if they were his own flesh and blood.

O.O

The three elves made their way to Erebor a few days after the wedding and honeymoon festivities subsided. The dwarves there had been in a much better relationship with elves since the Battle of the Five Armies about 80 years beforehand, yet it was unusual, if not unheard-of, for the Elvenking to actually visit them. Instead, he sent his stewards to trade good back and forth between Mirkwood and Dale, as well as the Lonely Mountain. A great stir was caused within the mountain's halls when the scouts spotted the trio approaching their abode. "The Elvenking approaches! The Elvenking approaches!" rang the excited cry. The news spread throughout the mountain like dragon fire.

King Thorin III and visiting King Bard II strode out of the mountain together, followed by Tauriel's brood. "Mother! Grandma! Great-grandma!" A mixture of voices cried out to her and numerous arms encircled her all at once, rather overwhelming.

The elf laughed as she tried to hug everyone at once. "Yes, I'm here for a visit. And I have a surprise for you if you will let me go a minute."

Legolas and Thranduil stayed in the background, smiling as they watched the family reunion. The younger elf's bride reached towards him and he stepped forward to clasp her hand as she dragged him beside her. "Everyone, this is my new husband, Legolas, and you already know his father, Elvenking Thranduil."

After gasping and taking a few moments to soak in the information, everyone again began speaking at once and hugged both the new elves, which they found awkward at first but got used to rather quickly. They escorted the elves into the mountain and talked about the events.

No one had an issue welcoming the Greenwood royalty into the family and enjoyed having them there immensely. They all stayed two weeks, then returned to the fair elven realm. When the newlyweds departed for their new home together in Gondor, the Elvenking understood that they felt their duty was in Ithilien rather than Mirkwood and he knew he must let them go. They promised to correspond as often as possible and went on their way.

O.O

A year passed, and Tauriel and Legolas' marriage blossomed. However, their family was about to expand.

One day, Tauriel requested her husband join her in visiting the location in which he proposed. It was a similar trip to the one they had made before, with a picnic lunch packed so that they could stay out as long as they wanted. They settled down on a blanket, and Legolas laid down with his head in his wife's lap. She gently stroked his hair and leaned down to kiss him gently. "Legolas, Meleth, I have some exciting news for you. You shall be a father!"

He had a blank moment, not realizing the full extent of her revelation. "I thought I already was one?"

The lady elf giggled. "Yes, true. However, I mean a real father! I am expecting!"

He sat up, now understanding. "Tauriel! How wonderful!" They kissed again. "Now why did you not tell me within the city? You should not be traveling this far!"

She laughed again. "I am perfectly fine and you know it!"

Unbeknownst to Legolas, this conversation was very similar to one his father and mother had when he first came into being. Thranduil also had concerns about his wife and insisted on carrying her back to the palace, always eager for an excuse to scoop her in up his arms. Legolas felt the same way, and Tauriel gave in on the condition they not make a scene upon entering the city, which is exactly what the Elvenqueen had done.

Thranduil and Gimli had the honour of being the first to know about the coming child. The Elvenking requested that they come to Mirkwood again for the birth of the child, and the couple agreed to visit about a month before the due date.

O.O

Around a year later, Legolas and Tauriel were in Mirkwood, and her labour pains had started. In the middle of the night, their child came into the world, a son. They named him Gárivíleru. Everyone in the kingdom celebrated his birth and longed for them to stay in this realm. However, the couple had other plans.

The new family of three was having some bonding time when Legolas had a huge request to make of his wife.

"Meleth, I desire our son to live the best life he can. You know we have talked before about going to the Grey Havens?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"Once Gárivíleru is older, I would like for us to go there. I also desire to take Gimli with us. You know he is the best friend I have, besides you."

"I think that sounds like a lovely idea! What about your father?"

"We should invite him along, although I doubt he will come." They walked together to the throne room, where they found the Elvenking draped regally on his throne.

"Ada?" Legolas inquired.

"Yes, _ionnin_?" The reply didn't sound annoyed, like it would have in the past, but held a tint of sadness, as though he knew the coming request.

"Tauriel and I have spoken about travelling to the Undying Lands once our son is older. Please, Ada, both of us should like very much for you to join us."

A wistful smile on his face, Thranduil shook his head. "Thank you. However, I must remain here in the kingdom. What would the world come to if all the elves left?"

"I'm sure everyone would get along just fine, although it never would be quite the same here."

"All the same, I have no desire to go just yet. However, I understand your decision and will not hold it against you."

The conversation had ended. Dejected, the elven couple returned to their chambers. Even knowing his answer beforehand didn't change the fact that a separation would soon come, a gap that could only be bridged if the Elvenking sailed over the waters as well. However, that would not change their current relationship in Middle Earth. Thranduil could not forsake his step-family and visited Tauriel's offspring and their broods in Erebor frequently in the next few years. Everyone enjoyed his visits as much as he did, albeit rather a strange relationship. They would even go to Mirkwood for moonlit parties, the Elvenking's specialty, full of singing, dancing, feasting, and overall merrymaking. The stoic elf truly had turned over a new leaf and it warmed everyone's hearts to see him enjoying himself.

O.O

A few years later, Legolas, Tauriel, Gimli, and Gárivíleru, now six years old, made their way to the Grey Havens. Thranduil joined them and a tearful goodbye was said to his family. "Legolas, think of me often! Tauriel, take care of my son and grandson. Gárivíleru, remember your grandfather is the Last Elven King in Middle Earth. I love you all and wish you safety." He gave them all hugs and shook Gimli's hand. Then the travellers boarded the ship and waved as they sailed away into the west, the Elvenking watching a waving as a mist formed in his eyes. Then he returned to his own kingdom, where he ruled in peace, love, and prosperity.

The dwarf became the only of his kind known to enter the Undying Lands because the friendship between him and Legolas was so strong. This haven of rest proved beneficial to everyone and provided many happy reunions on the part of the elves, and even Gimli as he found Frodo, Sam, and Bilbo. Thus they all dwelled happily ever after in the Undying Lands.

~ The End

_**So what did everyone think? Please leave a review! Please?**_


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